The Reluctant Polish Crossdresser
by Hamburgers'nNoodles
Summary: Feliks Lukasiewicz is a young, very skilled spy who has a new mission, and this one might be his most challenging yet. He has to attend high school, while cross dressing! All the while, he must investigate a certain Lithuanian prince who is attending the school as well. This is a Lietpol fic featuring a serious!Poland. Rated T for language and just to be safe. Contains some USUK.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: So... I had the idea for this fic a long time ago. I was thinking about how I didn't see a characterization of a serious Poland that often so I decided to write an intro. Obviously, just a serious Poland can get quite boring so I decided to add in some espionage, cross dressing, and high school and, well, I got this. This is my first fic so I hope I didn't do too badly on it XD So, without further ado, here it is!**

* * *

There was no doubt in anyone's mind that Feliks Lukasiewicz was the best at his game. In just four short years, he had proven himself to be the most skilled spy that the country of Poland had ever seen. It did not matter how dangerous the mission was, or how hard the information was to get, Feliks used his cunning and wit to always come out on top, and his young age only managed to highlight his achievements even further.

That's right: Feliks was the most decorated spy in Poland, possibly the world, and he was only nineteen years old. Of course, age didn't matter to his colleagues and he had already been recognized as worthy of their respect; but it would be his age that decided his next mission.

Starting in September, Feliks Lukasiewicz would start high school in America.

He would be attending the World Academy of Hetalia, a boarding school for the important and rich people of countries all over the world. Yes, in just two months, Feliks would become your "ordinary" high school student.

But not just any student.

A _female_ student.

Now, he could handle just about anything his boss threw at him. Start to attend high school undercover? No problem. Wear a stuffy uniform and go to class with kids who would probably be spoiled to the core due to their parents' wealth and status? Piece of cake. But wear a skirt and pose as a teenage girl to get close to the Lithuanian Prince who would also be attending the academy? LOL — nope.

And this was exactly why Feliks found himself in front of his superior, Mr. Julius Antonius.

"How could you stick me with such an undignified mission?!" Feliks cried in exasperation.

"Now, Feliks, perhaps you do not understand exactly how important your participation in this assignment is. The Lithuanian Prince is under great suspicion of being part of the Russian mafia. If the organization doesn't find out what he is hiding, then many lives will be at stake."

"How so? I thought the Russian mafia only dealt in drugs."

"They used to, yes, but now they're under new management. I'm sure you've heard of the man? Ivan Braginski?"

At the mention of the name, Feliks stiffened. Then he inquired, almost as if in a panic, "H-how can that be?! He's in jail! I should know, I'm the one who put him in there!"

"Well, now he's broken out."

"BROKEN OUT?! Why was I not informed of this?!"

"Well, you're informed now. Besides, he just escaped the day before yesterday, and in that time we've found a way to get close to Braginski. And hopefully we'll be able to apprehend him once again. But we need your help on this agent."

Julius looked at Feliks with a pleading look, as if begging him to cooperate.

Feliks opened his mouth to say something, but then closed it, choosing instead to nod in agreement.

"Nice to see that you agree. Now, because Braginski has gotten the mafia under his control, they've started to partake in human trafficking. This is why they are more of a threat than before. We need you to be able to get close to Braginski, understand?"

"Yes, I understand, sir. But what does this have to do with the Lithuanian prince?"

"After analyzing our options, we've decided that using the prince is your best bet. He seems to be the weakest link. The closer you are to the prince, the closer you get to capturing Braginski. But don't underestimate him, he must be part of the mafia for a reason."

"Understood. But with all due respect sir, why do I have to dress like a girl?!"

An amused expression found its way onto Mr. Antonius's face as he said, "Well, it's obvious isn't it? It's easier to trust a regular school girl than a boy. Think of all the ways you can get close to him. You can pretend you have a crush on him, hell, you can even try to seduce him. You just need to make sure that he trusts you."

An array of emotions flashed on Feliks' face, ranging from mortification to incredulousness, until it regained its usual stoic expression.

"Fine," he said dejectedly.

"Come on, don't sound like that! You'll get to be a hero!" Julius said encouragingly.

"I'd like it better if I didn't have to be a hero in a dress," he grumbled.

At that moment, another agent entered the office. He had shiny, shoulder length blonde hair, and was dressed in perhaps the flashiest clothes a spy had ever worn. He also seemed to radiate the smell of roses and winked flirtatiously at Feliks.

Then Julius said, "Whoever said a spy's life was easy? Now that you're done with your briefing, Mr. Bonnefoy here will take you away for your training. You must perfect the art of being a school girl by next week. Agent Jones will also be helping you with your speech patterns. Understood? Good. Dismissed."

Feliks nodded briskly and quickly followed Agent Bonnefoy out of the office. After a few minutes of walking in awkward silence, Feliks finally decided to ask the question that was plaguing his mind.

"So, Mr. Bonnefoy is it? Why and where exactly are you taking me?"

"Oh mon cher—or should I say ma cherie **(1)**?" The blond chuckled at his own bad joke. "You may call me Francis. We're going to the dress department of the building, in order to put together your disguise, oui?"

Feliks noticed Francis's French accent the moment he opened his mouth.

"So, in other words, you're going to play dress up with me? Like some Barbie doll?" Feliks said sarcastically.

"Oui **(2)**, actually," Francis said with a grin.

Not expecting that answer, Feliks just inwardly sighed.

_ What have I just gotten myself into?_ He thought, _I can just see me now, dancing around in a pink frilly tutu going, "Look at me! I'm a pretty, pretty princess!"_

* * *

**Well, there's the first chapter. It's pretty short but the next chapter is going to be longer, I already have it planned. Also, please review! Is the story going to fast or slow? Did I make any grievous grammar errors? Do you like my characterization of Poland? I can only get better with constructive criticism! ^.^ And now, for the footnotes! **

**1.) When speaking French, when one is saying "my dear" you have to be mindful of the person's gender. When you're talking to a male, you say mon cher because "mon" is the masculine form of "my" and "cher" is also masculine. When talking to a girl, you say "ma" because it's feminine and "cherie" because it is also feminine. So the joke is basically France calling Feliks a girl, referring to his "predicament." I'm taking French this year, so that's why this joke made sense to me XD.**

**2.) Oui, means "yes" in French. Pretty sure you guys already knew that, but just in case.**

**So, yeah! That's pretty much it. Remember, review please! Next chapter will be up by next week, at least I hope so. Bye!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A wild update appeared! It's been a week, and I was hoping to update sooner OTL, but better late than never, right? XD **

**Okay, first of all, I'd love to thank everyone for their support for this fic, you've made my week. I would also like to give a shout out to Echoes of Shadows, Gort, StorfenglegurStelpa21, and Deidara4ever, who gave awesome reviews! The constructive criticism was greatly appreciated :D You all get virtual cookies! Thanks to those who favorited and are following this story too, it makes me excited to see that people are actually reading my very first fic.**

**Also, I noticed a spelling error in the last chapter, so that's been fixed. Remember, if you find any errors at all, don't hesitate to point it out :) I don't have a beta so it's very likely I'll make at least one error per chapter.**

**Oh, and I forgot to do this in the last chapter: I claim no ownership of Hetalia. It belongs to Himaruya Hidekaz.**

**Okay, enough of my rambling, let's get on with the show!**

**Chapter 2: Femininity Boot Camp with Francis and Alfred**

* * *

A suffocating silence filled the air, only pierced by the rhythmic clicks of Francis's Prada Oxfords and the less enthusiastic thuds of Feliks's slip-ons. The marble tiling of the floor just managed to make the atmosphere all the colder, and the plain, gray walls held no distractions, forcing Feliks to just keep looking forward. Towards the dress department. Towards his fate.

In short, while walking down the long, ominous halls of the building, Feliks couldn't help but receive a sense of foreboding. Of course, he was about to go through _Extreme Makeover: Francis Edition_ so his feelings were probably well justified.

Soon, marble tiling turned into concrete as the duo traveled to the lower regions of the building, finally reaching the basement. As they got closer and closer to their destination, Feliks couldn't ignore the loud beating in his chest. He was sweating from nervousness and anxiety, for he did not know exactly what lay in store for him.

And he hated it, hated being in the dark. Surely, a recognized spy like him was above being clueless. In fact, wasn't it his _job_ to know everything? He should never have to wonder whether or not he'd be wearing a dress or putting on make-up. It was just so absurd, so ridiculous, so _unprofessional._

While Feliks was pondering his inner turmoil, he had failed to notice that Francis had suddenly stopped walking, causing the blond to bump into the Frenchman. This elicited a surprised yelp from the Pole.

"Le Voilà! **(1)** The Dress Department! The great Francis has lead you to your destination!" the flamboyant blond declared. His hands were waving around, making him look like some crazy magician going, "Ta-da!"

"Yes, I can see that," Feliks said irritably, the Francis's peppiness annoying the shorter blond. Honestly, Feliks was younger and he _still_ acted more mature than the Frenchman.

Nevertheless, while Francis looked just about ready to audition for _France's Got Talent_, Feliks was left to contemplate what lay behind the big, steel door labeled FEMALE DRESS DEPARTMENT.

Wait a second. Female dress department? Oh, _hell _no.

"Francis?! Why are we at the door of the _female _dress department?" Feliks exclaimed. To say he was angry was an understatement.

Ever the oblivious, Francis just laughed and said, "Why, to create your disguise of course! You didn't think we were going to the male dress department, did you? Remember, you're going to be undercover as a girl. And I thought such an important spy as yourself was intelligent."

If Feliks was an exploding volcano before, now he was a nuclear explosion. "It's not just that! Do you not see the word female, an indicator of the opposite sex, as in, no men allowed?!"

"Ah, you must learn to embrace your inner woman, mon ami. **(2)** You have to anyways, for this mission. Besides, we have special permission from Monsieur Antonius, and no women are inside right now. Now then, enough chitchat, let's go inside!" And with that, Francis unlocked the door with a key that he suddenly pulled out of thin air (hey, maybe he _was_ a magician after all.), and, with a grand flourish, swung the door wide open.

The first thing Feliks noticed were the clothes.

There must have been hundreds of racks of clothes, ranging from the most sophisticated of black evening dresses to the tackiest of neon yellow skirts. Blouses, dresses, skirts, sweaters, and even bras; you name it, it was there. The female dress department differed from the its male counterpart in such a way that the whole place resembled a mall. He could even smell the perfume samples and picture a make-up counter salesperson near one of the giant vanity tables. There were hundreds of pairs of shoes, including dangerous high-heels that looked like they could break your neck if you fell in them, and dozens of purses with matching belts. And while observing all of this, Feliks had only one thought in mind: it was all for _him._

_Oh god, no._

But Feliks had no time to feel sorry for himself, as Francis shoved him into the gigantic room, probably sensing that the Pole was ready to run away.

"Now, now, let us begin shall we? First, we must decide on your new wardrobe!" the Frenchman said as he led Feliks deeper and deeper into his own personal hell.

There was no reply, as the shock of seeing such a horrifying sight left the shorter blond speechless.

Francis just shrugged and said, "So, I was thinking that we should go for the preppy look, as it goes along with your school uniform, oui? Which reminds me, we must see if the uniform I retrieved for you actually fits you."

And so, the Frenchman took a plastic bag from one of the racks and shoved it into Feliks's arms, while saying, "Now run along and put these clothes on, the changing rooms are over there."

The Pole just nodded somberly and went to put on the clothes.

After a few minutes, Feliks emerged from the changing room, a tinge of red from embarrassment present on his cheeks. Francis looked him up and down and nodded approvingly.

"Yes, they definitely fit you, as expected from the great Francis. Care to take a look for yourself?" the taller blond said as he led his blushing companion towards a mirror.

When Feliks saw himself in the mirror, something just snapped. It must have been something about that tacky red blazer, or the cream colored sweater (which itched by the way) or, better yet, the plaid skirt that barely reached his mid-thighs.

"No! There is no way I am going to do this! It's ridiculous! It's degrading! No, just no!" And with that, the Pole started making his way towards the exit.

Francis's smile fell, but was replaced by a smirk in an instant as he said, "Ah, whoever thought that the famous Agent Feliks would turn down such an easy mission! Maybe your reputation does not precede you as much as a thought. Who would have thought you didn't have any honor."

With those words, Feliks stopped in his tracks (hook, line, and sinker). _No honor? No honor?! Who the hell does this guy think he is? I am the most honorable agent this organization has ever seen! How dare he imply that I'm anything less! I'll show _him_ I can handle a mission like this, just watch me!_

And with those thoughts in mind, Feliks started marching back towards Francis, who was smiling with that stupid knowing smirk of his.

"Ah, that's more like it. Maybe you _are_ as great of an agent as they say."

"Shut it Frenchie," the Pole said angrily. "Let's just get this over with, so I can make this mission a success, like I know I can."

"Getting a little cocky, aren't we? No matter, we must get started quickly. There's so much to do; deciding your outfits, choosing your make up palette, and most importantly, _waxing._"

Feliks didn't know half of what the Frenchman was talking about, but nevertheless, he clenched his jaw and braced himself for the pain that was surely about to come.

Later that night, the other agents in the building could have sworn they heard screams of pain coming from the basement. Maybe it was an interrogation, but whatever it was, the agents couldn't imagine the pain that the poor guy must have been going through.

* * *

The next day, Feliks felt the worst he had felt in years. Not even his morning coffee could help him wake up from the numbness of pain. And so, he found himself trudging to his office, wondering why life hated him so.

It must have hated him a lot, for the moment he sat down in his chair, a loud voice boomed, "HEY! Are you Feliks?!"

The pole nearly jumped out of his skin at the outburst. He quickly whipped his head around, towards the source of the noise. He was greeted with the sight of a tall man, with eyes the color of the sky and glasses that glinted in the light. He was slightly tanned and had golden-wheat hair with a cowlick that seemed like it just wouldn't stay down. The man also wore jeans (who wears jeans to the office?) and a brown leather bomber jacket. But most noticeable of all, this man had a smile the size of Texas on his face.

Feliks was so tired, he just felt like wiping that stupid smile off of the guy's face.

"Hey dude! You're that Polish agent right? My name's Alfred F. Jones, but you can just call me the hero! I'm here to teach you the art of speaking!"

Alfred's accent said it all for Feliks.

_Ah, an American. That explains a lot._

"Excuse me, but exactly what do you mean by 'teaching me the art the speaking'? I can speak English perfectly fine, thank you," Feliks said scathingly._  
_

"Yeah, _but_ you sound like an old man dude. You gotta start speaking like a girl! And I'm here to teach you how!" said Alfred with a boisterous laugh.

_Ugh, it's way to early in the morning for this. Let's just get this over with._

"Okay, uh, 'dude', exactly how does one speak like a girl then?" inquired Feliks._  
_

"Ahaha! Dude, don't say that anymore, you're making me crack up! Besides, you don't have to try sounding like me, guys and girls sound completely different. Now, I was up all night watching chick flicks and I've mastered the art of talking like a Valley girl. I'm amazing, I know, so now I'll teach you all I know!" bragged Alfred.

_That shouldn't take very long_, the Pole thought to himself.

"Okay then, start teaching me then. I haven't got all day, you know," Feliks said with an annoyed tone.

"Okay, let's start then! First of all, I noticed girls like to say 'like' a lot. I don't know why, but they just plug it in at any part of a sentence. So it like, kind of like, sounds like this."

Feliks cringed at the horribly improper grammar. But he decided to give it a shot.

"Uh...this like, sounds stupid. Um...why do girls...uh...like, talk like this?"

This made Alfred burst out in laughter. "Bwahaha! Dude, you're making me laugh so much, you sound so ridiculous! But don't worry, you'll sound more natural with practice," assured Alfred.

_I can't believe that the stupid American is telling _me_ that _I_ sound ridiculous. I need this to be over with before I lose all of my brain cells._

_"_Okay, next lesson! Girls like to say 'totally' almost as much they say 'like.' It's kind of similar to a verbal tic. Actually, to be honest, I think girls have created their own language, just so boys can't understand them." said the "stupid" American. "It gets really annoying, but at least now you'll be able to understand them, once I finish your training! So, moving on. Girls also say things like 'seriously' and 'oh my God' too. Oh, and they like talking about the newest boy bands, like One Direction and Justin Bieber, and stuff like that. So, for the rest of the time we have together, I'll have to coach you on the culture of girls."

Feliks's head was swimming from processing such pointless information. Nonetheless, for the rest of Alfred's "lesson," he did his best to pay attention. He knew he had to learn how to be a girl quickly. Time was certainly running out.

Because school was starting next week.

He was about to enter the teenage hell they call high school.

_Oh joy._

* * *

**Yay! Man, it feels so good to finish a chapter. I hope the length of this one makes up for the long wait . I was pretty busy (i.e. watching anime, reading fanfiction, and procrastinating on my Latin project and History essay.) I think I might end up updating every Sunday, but** **I'll try my very best to post more frequently, or at least make each chapter long enough to be worth the wait. **

**And here are the footnotes!**

**1. _Le Voila_ means something a long the lines of "here it is!" It's basically used to show something.**

**2. _Mon ami_ means "my friend (masculine)" so at least Francis didn't call Feliks a girl this time XD**

**Also, I hope I didn't offend anybody with the stereotypes. I'm American, but I find American stereotypes to be pretty funny, especially since I know many of them aren't true. Besides, what's Hetalia without the stereotypes? XD Oh, and I'm a girl, so this chapter is basically me poking fun at my own gender, or at least, the stereotype of my gender anyways. **

**Oh, and concerning Feliks's last name, I just got it from Poland's wikinet page. According to that, Himaruya gave Poland the last name "Lukasiewicz," after a Polish philosopher or a scientist I think. But his last name doesn't really matter now, especially since he's getting a new name. That's right, next chapter, Feliks is starting high school! Muahaha! **

**Anyways, please review! It just makes me so excited to see your opinions, and to get some advice :D I love you guys so much! See you next chapter!**


	3. Chapter 3

**EDIT: just noticed something got messed up in this chapter. :P it's corrected now.**

**Another week, another update~**

**I was so worried that I wouldn't get this chapter done on time. It took me forever to finish writing my history essay, and it didn't help that I kept procrastinating either :P Anyways, yay! This is finally when Feliks starts high school! And Lithuania makes his first appearance ^.^ I kind of consider this the chapter when the story is really starting, ya know?**

**Anyhow, I'd like to give a shout out to those who reviewed the last chapter. StorfenglegurStelpa21, TheAwesomeMe872, ForgottenDinosaur, Violet tsubaki, Xou, and also you guest reviewers, thank you for the awesome reviews! :D I'm so thankful that people are taking the time to read comment on my work, it's everything a writer could ask for :)**

**And now, let the curtains rise!**

* * *

Location: World Academy of Hetalia

Time: 8:00 A.M.

Mission: Pose as a school girl and get close to the Lithuanian Prince.

* * *

Feliks stood in front of the big stone arch that was standing oh-so-intimidatingly in front of the school. On it, there was huge sign that read "World Academy of Hetalia" and under that, their motto, written in cursive Latin:

'_Orbis Terrarum Colligimus' _**(1)**

_So this is high school, huh? _he thought as he made his way into the school, if you could even call what he was doing walking. In fact, it was more of a cross between limping and waddling.

_Damn, this skirt chafes a lot. And these high heels are _killing_ me!_ he inwardly complained.

Ah, 'tis one of the many trials women must face.

As the Pole made his way in around the school like a duck who was bit in the leg, he went over his schedule. First, he had homeroom, the same homeroom as a certain Lithuanian prince. In fact, Feliks had all his classes with the prince. Which also mean that Feliks didn't like any of the classes he was taking.

Especially track. What kind of prince signs up for something so laborious anyways?

As Feliks made his way down the corridor, he paid attention to all of the room numbers, searching for his homeroom, 035.

_Let's see, 032…033…034…yes! 035! _Feliks inwardly congratulated himself for his victory. Sure enough, to the immediate right of the doorway was a plastic sign that read '035'. The door to the room was wide open, so the Pole entered the room, steeling himself for any surprise that might await him inside. You know, like a pack of wolves. Or a vicious tiger.

Instead, he found some twenty odd pairs of eyes that flew straight towards him as he entered the room. These eyes belonged to students, and when they started to whisper, it made Feliks uneasy. Looking for an authoritative figure, his eyes found the balding teacher who stood up, nodding.

"Ah yes, you must be the new transfer student from Poland. Ms. Felicia Bor...k-ko-bor-k-"

"It's Bor-kmorowski."

"Oh, yes, Felicia Bor-kmorowski, am I correct?"

"Felicia" nodded.

The teacher continued, "Well, why don't you introduce yourself and tells us about yourself?"

The Pole nodded again and took a deep breathe. He had to get this right, otherwise he would fail, and if there was anything Feliks couldn't do, it was fail. For a moment, his eyes were hard as steel. And then, a huge grin appeared on his face as he began.

"Like, hi! I'm like, totally Felicia! But you can like, just call me Feli! I'm like, totally from Poland, like seriously. But I'm like, super excited to learn about like, American culture. So I hope we can all be like, friends and stuff!"

After finishing his little introductory speech, Feliks, or should we say, "Feli", scanned the room. From his research, he knew that the Prince had brown hair and blue eyes. Soon enough, he saw a brunette in a sea of blondes. However, he was sitting in the back corner of the room, not in the front where one would expect a prince to be. Nonetheless, there was an empty seat next to him.

Feliks narrowed his eyes and smirked.

_Bingo_.

"Okay then, Felicia. Thank you for that, uh, interesting introduction. Just take a seat wherever you like," the teacher said.

"Feli" nodded and quickly made his way to the back of the room, towards the luckily empty seat.

Once Feliks sat down, he turned his head to look at the brunette next to him. It was then he noticed that the prince had been staring at him.

However, when he and Feliks made eye contact, the prince's eyes widened and he quickly turned his head.

_So he's shy, huh? This is too easy._

And so, Feliks turned his whole body to address the brunette.

"Like, hi! As you probably know, I'm like, Felicia! What's your, like, name?"

This seemed to startle the Lithunian as he turned to Feliks with a look on his face that seemed to say: You were actually talking to me?

"Yeah, so like, what's your name?" Feliks asked once again with a huge smile on his face, even though he already knew the answer.

The brunette started to stutter and said in a meek voice, "Oh. U-um... it's T-Toris. Toris Lorinaitis."

Feliks made his face contort into a fake but very believable look of amazement and surprise as he said, "Oh my god, that is like, so cool! Isn't that name, like, Lithuanian?"

_That's right, flatter him. Act like you're impressed._

Toris's eyes widened and he said quickly, "Y-yes that's me. J-just an ordinary Lithuanian!"

_Damn, this guy's a bad liar. But why doesn't he want anyone to know that he's a prince?_

"Sure...," Feliks said dubiously. "Well, it's nice to meet you! I dont know anything about Lithuania, so maybe you could teach me sometime? I'd really like that..."

It was obvious that Feliks was flirting.

"It's nice to meet you too. I don't know if I'd be your best source on Lithuanian culture, though. You should try reading some books on Lithuanian history, I heard _History of Lithuania_ **(2) **is one of the best," Toris said with a shy smile.

But apparently, it wasn't obvious enough.

_Dammit, this guy's has such low self esteem. How am I supposed to get through to him?_

"Well, I hope we can, like, be friends this year!" Feliks gave a wink towards Toris.

_Ugh._

"Yeah, me too, Felicia," said Toris, giving a shy smile in return.

At that moment, the bell chose to ring, signaling the end of homeroom. There was a shuffling of chairs and the chattering of students as everyone started to make their way out into the hallways, including Feliks and Toris.

"So, like, what's you're next class Toris?" Feliks asked, even though, yet again, he already knew the answer.

"Oh, I have World History next, what about you?" Toris replied.

Feliks smiled and widened his eyes in mock surprise, "Oh my god, like, I have World History too! This is going to be, like, so much fun!"

Toris nodded and smiled as they made their way to World History class. "Yes, I guess it will be."

_I have the whole day to observe this guy. Hopefully, it will yield some valuable information._

* * *

In World History, Toris, yet again, chose to sit in the back of the class. And again, Feliks sat next to him, which also meant he had to sit in the back as well. Not that he was complaining, though. Sitting in the back gave him the best vantage point of the whole class. He could see everything that was going on, without being seen himself. But what of the Lithuanian prince? Why did he keep sitting in the rear?

"Hey, so like, why do you keep sitting in the back of the, like, class?" Feliks decided to ask Toris.

"Oh, um, I guess I just like it better here," Toris responded shyly.

_Don't tell me that he sits here because he's unintelligent or something,_ Feliks thought.

But this proved to be false, for throughout the whole class, the Lithuanian would take meticulous notes that impressed even Feliks.

_Okay, so he's pretty smart and diligent. Just what kind of a prince is he?_

**~~~~Random page break because the "Insert Horizontal Line" thingy isn't working..~~~~**

Lunch bore no answers either. As expected, the Lithuanian had chosen to sit in a secluded corner of the cafeteria, even eating a lunch that he had brought from home.

"Hey, did you like, make that yourself? It's looks good!" Feliks inquired, staring at Toris's lunch which looked like some kind of dumplings.

"A-ah, yes, I did actually. It's _Cepelinai _**(3),** a traditional Lithuanian dish. It's one of my favorites, actually. Would you like to try some, Felicia?" Toris asked timidly.

_Perfect_.

"Sure, I'd like, love to!" said Feliks while he closed his eyes and opened his mouth, signaling for Toris to feed him.

Toris blushed and looked flustered.

"Oh, okay. I guess I'll give you a small piece in case you don't like it," he said while carefully feeding a spoonful of food into Feliks's mouth.

Surprisingly, when Feliks started to chew, he realized that the food tasted really good.

"Wow! This, like, tastes awesome! I didn't know that you were like, such a good cook!" Feliks said while smiling.

This compliment only served to darken Toris's blush.

"Well, um, I'm glad you like it so much Felicia. I guess I just really like cooking, that's all," Toris said.

_He's smart, he likes to cook, _and _he's so shy. He is not the kind of person I'd thought I'd be dealing with. When does a guy like him get involved with the Russian Mafia? Well, there's still three more periods left. There's got to be something that I'm missing here!_

~~~**Still not working~~~**

After observing Toris for the whole school day, Feliks was starting to get frustrated. It was now last period and the Pole hadn't noticed anything else about the Lithuanian. Throughout all of their classes, the brunette would just sit at the back of the room. And while sitting next to him in each class, Feliks saw that Toris would never raise his hand, talk, or participate in any way. He would just keep quiet the whole time, listening to the teacher drone on and on.

_This guy has to be hiding something. It's always the quiet ones, _the blonde thought as he listened to the track coach go on about pacing and strategy.

_Good thing that we don't have to wear our track uniforms until tomorrow. For right now, it's just listening to this old man talk like we're going to_ war.

"Well that's it for today students. Make sure to get enough sleep and be ready to run for your lives tomorrow! I'll just let you go early, since school ends in five minutes. Class dismissed!"

There were sighs of relief from the class as everyone got up from the gym bleachers and started making their way out of the heavy gym doors and into the hallways.

"Wasn't that, like, boring?" Feliks asked Toris as they made their way out of the school building.

"Yeah, I guess. I was really hoping that we would be able to run today, but at least we're starting tomorrow," Toris said optimistically.

"Yep! I, like, can't wait!" Feliks lied through his teeth.

Soon, the duo had made their way out of the school building and were now standing under the very same stone arch that Feliks had been staring at earlier.

"Well, I guess I have to go now. See you tomorrow, Felicia," Toris said while waving.

"Okay, I'll see you, like, tomorrow then! Oh, and here's my email, in case you want to, like, talk," Feliks said while handing the Lithuanian a slip of paper.

Toris took the slip of paper with a shy smile and said, "Sure, I will. Thanks. Bye, Felicia."

"Bye!"

And so Toris started walking down the street, away from the school. Feliks stood there for a moment, watching as the Lithunian's slowly retreating figure made its way out of his sight.

_Toris Lorinaitis, you have secrets, and I'm going to find out exactly what they are._

* * *

**Woot! Another finished chapter! I was hoping to write more, but don't worry! I'll go into more detail about Feliks's second day of school next chapter. And now for the notes:**

**1.) ****_Orbis Terrarum Colligimus _****is Latin for "We bring the world together" or "We bring the whole world together." 'Orbis Terrarum' can be translated in many ways, but I just consider it to mean world. As you can see, I also study Latin :D You learn something new about me everyday XD**

**2.) This is an actual book. Well, books actually. Apparently, when it's finished, this thing is going to have thirteen volumes, or something along those lines. There have already been 5 volumes published :o**

**3.) Cepelinai is a potato based dumpling. I guess it's like a staple Lithuanian dish. BTW, this is the same dish that Lithuania wanted to have in that one episode where the Baltics were talking about what they wanted to have for dinner. I wrote that scene without even realizing it XD**

**The next chapter ****_might _****be late next week, although I'll do my very best to make sure it's not. I have term finals (my school has a lot of terms so yeah, our first term is already ending :P) all week next week, so it'll be a squeaker, but I think I can do it! And also, review! I love hearing from you guys! :D**

**Anyways, until next week my lovelies! C'ya next chapter!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Another update, woohoo! After a tough week of term finals, I'm proud to say that I finished this chapter in time. Anyways, here are the shout outs!**

**Thank you to you guest reviewers, Moi and SmileyFacesSmile. Also thank you to** **Cryers-Chan say's Pyuu, Linkforever125, TheAwesomeMe872, and Techie Bunny for the reviews! It's reviewers like you guys who keep me going! Thanks to all the new followers as well! **

**And now for the new chapter~**

* * *

Feliks, yet again, found himself standing in front of the big stone arch, teetering from foot to foot because he had acquired nasty blisters from impractical shoe wear. But this time, he was waiting for someone, someone who had been frustrating him ever since he met him the previous day.

_I have to change my tactics. I thought I would be dealing with the arrogant, princely type, but obviously I was wrong. It looks like I'll have to be more direct, although I can't see how I can be any more direct than yesterday. I just need the perfect opportunity…._

"Hi Felicia."

_Speak of the devil._

Feliks turned towards the speaker of the shy greeting and was met with the Lithuanian he had been waiting for all morning. The brunette was walking down the street and was but a mere few feet away.

"Oh my God, like, hi Toris!" Feliks exclaimed cheerfully as he started to wave his hand frantically in salutation.

Toris smiled and quickened his pace until he stopped in front of Felicia.

"It's like, about time you got here, slowpoke," Feliks said while he smiled teasingly.

"O-oh, I'm sorry. Did I make you wait?" Toris replied apologetically.

"Yeah, like totally. I like, couldn't wait to see you today!" Feliks smiled while taking a step closer towards Toris.

_Am I being too obvious?_

The Lithuanian's cheeks became pink and he started to stutter, "W-well it makes me happy that you wanted to see me Felicia…"

_No, it's perfect, _Feliks thought while smirking. The Pole then shuffled himself next to the brunette so that their shoulders were touching. The Lithuanian was startled by the sudden contact and started blushing even more furiously, with eyes wide in surprise.

"Anyways, like, we should go inside. School starts in like, 10 minutes. Come on!" Feliks tugged on Toris's sleeve and started to walk towards the entrance of the school.

Not really understanding what had just happened, Toris, his face still red as a tomato, nodded and started to follow the Pole into the school. As they walked down the halls, an awkward silence enveloped the duo. Surprisingly, it was Toris who chose to break it.

"So, um, do you think track will be any fun today?" Toris asked tentatively, even though the Pole could hear the subtle eagerness in the Lithuanian's voice.

_No._

"Yeah, totally! I just love running, like, don't you? The wind in your hair, the freedom you feel, isn't it like, amazing?" Feliks said enthusiastically.

In truth, Feliks had no problems with running. In fact, it was required in his field work that he be able to escape quickly. It was just…the uniforms. He hated them, despised them. They were just so-he didn't even want to think about it.

Once he had heard Feliks's reply, the Lithuanian's eyes lit up and a bright smile found its way onto his face. The Pole had never seen the brunette this happy. Although, granted, he had only met him the day before.

"Really? I didn't know that you liked track. To be honest, I didn't think that a girl like you would like to run competitively. All of the girls I know are afraid to get sweaty," Toris said.

_Yeah, and now I know why. These blisters are making it difficult to walk already, and it takes so damn long to wash your face so you don't get acne. Do you know how hard it is to put on make-up when you have pimples? It's bad enough you have to be careful when putting on eyeliner-_

Wait, what the hell was he thinking?

_Dammit. I've been spending too much time with Francis. It's bad enough that I have to _do_ this stuff, I shouldn't have to think about it too._

"Well, I'm not like most girls," Feliks said in response to Toris's comment, with a coy wink.

_Oh god, please tell me I did not just say that._

But he had. Luckily, the Pole didn't even have enough time to mentally face-palm because at that moment the duo had reached the door to their homeroom. Toris stepped aside to let Feliks enter the classroom.

"Ladies first," Toris said with a shy smile.

_Well…that was…sweet,_ Feliks thought as he made his way to the back of the class.

Once the blond and brunette settled in their seats, Toris chose the moment to ask a question that had been plaguing his mind ever since the day before.

"So, um, isn't it weird how we have all of our classes together, Felicia?" he asked shyly.

"I like, know right? Maybe it's like, destiny or fate or something! Like we were meant to like, stick together," Feliks said whimsically. He had been prepared for such a question, in fact, he was surprised the Lithuanian hadn't asked until now.

"Yeah…I guess so. Mind as well not question it, huh?" Toris said while shrugging.

"Right!" exclaimed the Pole while smiling brightly.

* * *

In ELA, Feliks was listening to the teacher talk about a project assignment that would be due in two weeks.

_It's only the second day of school and already we have to complete a project. School is more like my training than I thought._

"Okay class, for our first project of the year, we will be doing something that requires a partner. First, you must read the book, _Les Miserables_ by Victor Hugo, the abridged version of course. Then you and your partner must choose a scene in the book that you think depicts one of the major themes of the book. Once you choose a scene, you have to act it out in front of the class," the teacher explained.

Feliks smirked. _This is the opportunity I've been waiting for._

"Everyone got it? Fine, you may choose your partners now. Hurry up, we still have a lesson plan to follow," the teacher said.

The Pole turned towards the brunette next to him.

"So like, Toris, you want to be like, partners? I totally don't know like, anybody else here," Feliks asked, smiling innocently.

"Oh, um sure. Actually, I was going to ask you if you wanted to be partners. I hope I don't disappoint you," Toris said while blushing and returning Feliks's smile hesitantly.

_Oh, I'm sure you won't disappoint. This is perfect! I'll definitely be able to get him to tell me more about himself while we work on this project. Starting with..._

"So, like, you want to meet each other after school to like, work on the project? We could totally like, go to your house, mine is being like, being renovated right now. So, like, how about it?" Feliks asked.

"Oh, uh...I don't know if that's such a good idea..." Toris said nervously.

"Oh come on! Please, with like, a cherry on top? It'll be like, so much fun!" Feliks pleaded with a fake whiny voice.

"O-okay. If you really want to come over, I guess we could walk to my house together after school..." Toris said while giving in.

"Yay! This is like, totally going to be so much fun!" the Pole cheered.

_Fun indeed._

* * *

**(A/N: There's a swear in here. I'm not sure if I want to include curse words in my writing. Are you guys okay with me putting swears in this story?)**

It was seventh period, track, and Feliks was **fuming**.

_Dear God, if I find the bastard who designed these uniforms I will personally strangle him to death. _

He was currently dressed in a very revealing white track suit. The jersey tank top clung tightly to his torso, and he was sure that the matching shorts violated all school dress codes in existence.

_Where does the school get off on forcing the girls to wear such degrading outfits? I swear, the board of education must be made up of perverts._

_"_Okay you wimps, listen up! Today, I'm going to record how fast you can run and hopefully, you dummkopfs will improve by the end of the year. First up, Toris Lorinaitis!" the track coach yelled in a thick German accent. **(1)**

_What the hell happened to the coach from yesterday?! This guy looks like he could lift up a car! _**  
**

Toris jumped when he heard his name was called. Quickly, he scrambled to get into starting position at the beginning of the track. You didn't need an expert to tell you that he was shaking from nervousness.

_Poor guy, _Feliks thought, _There's no way he'll survive this class._

"Ready, set, go!" the coach yelled. At this, Toris started speeding around the track.

Feliks's jaw dropped.

_What the hell?! This guy is **fast**! _

It was true, Toris was a blur to those watching. Soon, he finished running the track in record speed.

"Excellent! Very good! It seems that we have a new star runner on this team. You nincompoops could learn a thing or two from Lorinaitis!" Coach Beilschmidt yelled.

Toris walked back to the bleachers with a small smile on his face. He sat down next to Feliks, who was still getting over the shock of watching Toris run.

"So, um, how did I do Felicia?" Toris asked shyly.

"Are you like, kidding? That was totally amazing! I didn't like, know you could run so fast!" Feliks exclaimed.

Toris shrugged sheepishly. "I guess I just really like it."

"You're like, so awesome!"

_Yes, it seems that he has hidden strengths. What are the others, I wonder? Maybe they're the reason he's involved with Braginski._

During the rest of the class, the other track members were being recorded and yelled at by Coach Beilschimidt. Luckily for Feliks, they ran out of time before the coach got to him.

"Okay! Class dismissed! We'll resume this tomorrow! Go and get changed!" the coach barked.

Both Feliks and Toris stood up and started to make their way to the locker rooms. The girls' and boys' locker rooms were next to each other at the other end of the hall outside the gym. Which was pretty stupid, because this meant that Feliks had to walk through one whole hall in the horrible track uniform.

"Well, well, look at what we have here," an ominous voice said.

The duo were stopped in their tracks by a trio of big and burly jocks who were blocking the locker room entrances.

"Hey, like, could you guys like, move. We have to like, get changed," Feliks said, irritated.

"Actually, the way you're dressed is just fine for me, cutie," one of the troglodytes, who seemed to be the ring leader, said lecherously.

_Ugh, what a creep. And is that a Scottish accent I detect? This school has a lot of foreign students for an American high school._

"Like, seriously, back off jerk. I'm like, so totally not interested, so like, move already," Feliks said scathingly.

"I wouldn't be talking like that if I were you, doll. Why don't you try hanging out with a real man, like me?" the jock said while smiling like a predator eyeing his prey.

_What should I do? I can't beat them up without revealing my identity. I need a distraction._

"Thanks but no thanks. Toris is like, all the company I need. Now if you excuse us, we'll just go and change in the bathrooms if you jerks aren't like, going to move," Feliks said while turning and making a start towards the opposite end of the hall.

A rough hand grabbed Feliks's wrist, stopping him from going any further.

"Who said you could go? Come on lass, just tell me your name," the oaf said with a hint of a threat in his voice.

Toris, who had been quietly observing this exchange, drew the line when the jock had touched Feliks. His hands had curled into fists, and his knuckles were white.

"S-stop! Let her go! She doesn't want anything to do with you, so just let her go!" he shouted, in the loudest voice Feliks had ever heard him use.

_Well...he's pretty brave. He's also pretty stupid. He doesn't stand a chance with these jocks._

"Oh yeah, and what are you going to do about it if I don't, weakling?" the bully sneered, turning his attention on Toris.

"W-well I...I...um...I..." Toris was trapped with the three jocks towering over him.

"Hey, like, leave him alone!" Feliks said. He couldn't let Toris get hurt, he was a key part in his mission.

_Looks like I have no choice. I'll have to use my training. Hopefully, Toris will be too shocked to ask any questions. _

The Pole was prepared to karate chop the ring leader when suddenly a loud voice rang out-

"Never fear! The HERO is here!"

All five heads snapped towards the owner of the voice. At the other end of the hall, there was figure walking towards them. Once Feliks identified the speaker, his eyes widened.

_What the hell is_ **he **_doing here?!_

* * *

**Whew, that took a long time to write. I'm kind of surprised by the length, I didn't think I'd be able to write so much. Sorry about the cliffhanger (but I think you guys know who it is) but I thought it'd be okay since I plan on giving you guys a treat on Wednesday. That's right, I'll be updating on Halloween, so this time you guys won't have to wait a whole week to read the next chapter :D**

**And for the notes, there's only one:**

**1.) A new coach! Don't worry, this will be explained soon enough. And I think you guys know who it is already, but I'll just let you know that it's Germany XD I'm not going to write out his accent because I think as long you know it's Germany, you'll be able to imagine his accent while reading. **

**On another note (lol, punny!), for those who celebrate it, who else is excited for Halloween?! Free candy, woohoo! Even though I'm kind of old to go trick or treating, (don't worry, I'm not THAT old lol) who can deny themselves candy? Anyways, see you guys on Halloween with a new chapter!**

**Until Wednesday, bye!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Gah, even when I'm on time I'm still late. **

**Happy Halloween everyone! Firstly, I'd like to send my heart out to all those who were affected by Hurricane Sandy. Even though we still felt her over here (there were a few knocked over power lines and some trees were obliterated. Oh, and we missed a day of school.) it wasn't nearly as bad as I heard it was in other states. So I hope everyone will be able to get back on their feet. Us East coasters (I don't think that's even a term, lol) are made of strong stuff. We can pull through! **

**Anyways, I hope you guys are okay with me forgoing the weekly shout outs. I really want to get this chapter out as soon as I can, and don't worry, those who reviewed the last chapter will get their mention in this Sunday's update. **

**And now for the new chapter~**

* * *

"Now you just let those two go!" The newcomer's voice boomed. He had stopped his procession down the hall once he was a few feet in front of the five other students. They could now take note of his glasses as they glinted in the fluorescent hallway light. He was wearing a letter man jacket, instead of the school regulation blazer. But this man's most striking features were perhaps is blue eyes and seemingly un-dimmable smile.

"Who the bloody **(1)** hell are you?" the ringleader of the jocks asked mockingly, his green eyes shining with malice.

"Who am I?" the mysterious man said. He then struck a ridiculous pose, right hand pointing to the sky and his left hand on his hip, as he opened his mouth to speak again.

_Oh no. Here it comes._

"Why, I'm Alfred F. Jones, the HERO!"

_And there it – wait! What the hell is this _glupiec **(2)** _doing?! He just gave his real name! _Feliks resisted the urge to swear out loud as he inwardly cursed his coworker's stupidity.

"Hero, eh? Sounds like you're just another idiot to me," the redhead scoffed. "You should just get lost lad, the lady and I were just about to leave anyways. Come on lass, let's go." As if to emphasize this, he tugged on the Pole's wrist.

Feliks gave a small grunt as he resisted being pulled by the tall jock.

"Now you hold it right there, fiend! You're not leaving with her, not on my watch!" Alfred declared as he walked confrontationally up to the bully.

The redhead turned his body to fully face the American as he let go of Feliks's wrist. His voice was dark and threatening as he said, "Listen here, idiot. I won't hesitate to knock out a couple of your teeth, got it?" Both boys were face to face now, only inches apart.

The bespectacled blond just laughed as he exclaimed, "Ha! I'd like to see you try!"

"Alright, you fatass American, you asked for it!" snarled the jock as he swung his right arm, intending to deliver a powerful blow to Alfred's face.

The fist never made contact with its target, for Alfred had easily caught the attack with his hand. Then, as quick as lighting, the American had the redhead's arm twisted painfully behind his back, trapping him in the blond's hold.

_Just what I would expect from a fellow agent. At least now I don't have to beat them up myself._

Alfred's eyes narrowed as he said in a voice much darker than before, "Why can't we all just get along? I had really hoped it wouldn't come down to violence, but you forced my hand, dude. Now just take your two friends and run along. _Go._"

And with that, Alfred shoved the bully towards the opposite end of the hall. The redhead quickly scrambled to his feet and turned to look the American directly in the eye with pure fury.

"This isn't over, American. You'll regret this, or my name isn't Allistor Kirkland. Come on Dylan and Aiden, let's leave this punk with his wimpy friends," Allistor said as he turned to walk angrily down the hall, his two lackeys in tow.

After the trio disappeared from sight, Alfred started to laugh triumphantly.

"Ha ha! The hero always prevails!" he gloated.

Feliks just rolled his eyes and turned to examine Toris. The Lithuanian still had wide eyes and seemed shaken from the whole ordeal.

"Hey, like, Toris, are you like, alright?" the Pole asked, slightly concerned over the brunette's silence.

Toris snapped out of his stupor and tried his best to give Feliks a shaky smile, "O-oh, yes, I'm okay Felicia. Everything's fine…"

The Pole raised his eyebrows, clearly not buying the brave face that Toris was trying to put on. But he chose to leave it alone and nod with a small smile.

"Okay, as long as you're, like, alright Toris," said the blond. He then turned to address the self-proclaimed hero who was still basking in his "defeat of the villain."

"Hey! Jones! What are you, like, doing here?" Hostility could be sensed in the Pole's tone. Feliks still didn't know what the other agent was doing being involved in _his _mission.

"Woah there, I just saved you and your friend, dude. You could at least be a little grateful," the American said with an easy-going smile.

_Be _grateful? _To an idiot like him?!_

"Why you-!" Feliks began to say.

"E-excuse me, but, um…" Toris interrupted in a small voice. "Do you guys know each other?"

The Pole and the American's attention was drawn back to the timid Lithuanian.

_Dammit! I have to be more careful! What the hell do I say?_

"Um…" Feliks began, his mind suddenly blank.

"We're neighbors!" Alfred chirped in cheerfully. He gave Feliks a small wink as he continued.

"We happen to live in the same apartment complex. We see each other every day! In fact, I was here to let Felicia know that the landlord is going to do an inspection this week."

_At least he can, thankfully, lie smoothly._

"Yep! That's like, totally right. We're like, totally the best of neighbors," the Pole added with a relieved smile.

_I need to know the real reason why Alfred's here. But I can't ask with Toris here. Let's see…oh, I have an idea…_

Feliks turned to Toris with a cute smile on his face and started to play with his hair. He made his voice as sweet as honey when he spoke.

"Hey, like, Toris? I think I forgot my sweater on, like, one of the bleachers. Could you do me like, a totally huge favor and like, get it for me, please?"

"Oh, okay Felicia, I'd be glad to. I'll be right back," Toris said shyly. He then headed back towards the gymnasium with a quick gait.

Once the Lithuanian was out of earshot, Feliks got down to business.

"Okay Alfred, what are you doing here? This is _my_ mission," the Pole said with narrowed eyes.

"Hey dude, don't get your skirt in a bunch," Alfred said while he chuckled at his joke.

Feliks resisted the very strong urge to hit the American. Sensing his impending abuse at the hands of the Pole, Alfred decided it was time to be serious.

"Fine, if you must know, the boss wanted to make sure you had some protection, you know, some muscle. And from what just happened, I can see he was right. Anyways, I'm not the only undercover agent here, there are actually more of us than you think," Alfred explained.

"Ha, right. Next thing I know, you'll be telling me that my new track coach is also an undercover agent," Feliks said sarcastically.

Alfred just smirked.

_Wait….don't tell me…_

"Don't tell me he _is_! Dammit, why can't the director understand that I can handle this on my own?" the Pole said in frustration.

"Hey, don't ask me dude. But just know that if you need a hand, I'm here. In fact, I'm enrolling as a student so we'll both be on the same boat. Oh, and are you doing anything tonight?" Alfred inquired.

Feliks's gaze turned suspicious. "Why do you ask? I'm just going to Toris's house to work on a project, but I think this will be a great opportunity to gather more intelligence. What, is something going on tonight?"

"As a matter of fact, there is. Make sure you're in your apartment by nine tonight. That's when you'll be getting your briefing. There's going to be an investigation operation, and this actually directly relates to your assignment, so be sure to be there," Alfred said.

"Right, got it. Anything else?" Feliks asked.

"Nah, that's it. I guess I'll be taking my leave then. See ya around dude."

With that, Alfred started to walk away. But before he disappeared completely from Feliks's sight, he still had one more thing to say.

"Oh, and good luck on your little date with the Lithuanian," he said with a grin and a wink. And then he was gone.

"That _idiot_," the Pole said, with slightly pink cheeks, to no one in particular.

"What idiot?" a quiet voice said, startling Feliks.

"Oh Toris, you're like, back!" Feliks said when he turned and saw Toris standing there, holding a sweater. "Don't worry, I wasn't, like, talking about you. I was just talking about, like, Alfred. In fact he like, just left. So now it's just, like, you and me. Yay, right?"

_I guess I really did leave my sweater back there. _

"Oh…okay," the Lithuanian said hesitantly. "So…do you want to head over to my house now?"

"Sure!" Feliks said brightly. "I can't wait to like, start our project!"

"Me too," said Toris with a smile.

The duo started walking towards the exit of the school. While Toris was inwardly planning their project already, Feliks had different thoughts in mind.

_Tonight will surely yield some results. This is going to be good._

* * *

**Le sigh. I was really hoping to write more than this, but I had more schoolwork than I thought. At least it's more than a thousand words. I wanted to write at least that much. And I wanted to post by like, 6:00 and look how well that turned out. Anyways, yay! It's Halloween! A lot of people dressed up at my school, including me. It's was pretty awesome. None of the teachers handed out candy though, that was disappointing :(.**

**As for the notes:**

**1.) At first I wasn't really going to name these bullies/jocks, but I thought it would be more interesting if I did. Anyways, I've made the ringleader Scotland and the other two are Wales and Ireland. Sorry for making them bullies, (I love England's brothers as much as the next fangirl) ****but I thought they kind of fit. Anyways, I had to change one or two things in Scotland's dialogue in the last chapter, to, you know, make him sound Scottish. Even though I think I did a bad job. I had a really hard time finding Scottish slang that would fit in the dialogue. I'm not even sure if the Scottish say "bloody" but for the sake of this fic, let's just say they do. XD**

**2.) Glupiec is Polish for "fool." I thought it was about time I add some Polish in Poland's dialogue. **

**And that's about it. Again, HAPPY HALLOWEEN! I really feel like today should have been...I don't know...more special? I really don't think I did much today, but at least I got this chapter out, and that's all that really matters :D**

**Okay, see you guys Sunday. Please review, they're like candy to me XD **


	6. Chapter 6

**An update! woohoo! **

**Hiya guys, I can't believe we're already on the 6th chapter. Haha, I didn't think I'd make it this far. I'm just hoping that the big bad monster called writer's block doesn't have a chance to attack.**

**Anyways, this week I have a lot of shout outs to make, so here we go! First of all, thank you to StorfenglegurStelpa21, Nekolandia, Techie Bunny, OurLordDisco, CherryBot413, Linkforever125, Aimless-A-Smiles, Techie Bunny, Niue, and guest reviewers, Moi, SmileyFacesSmile and fufu for the much appreciated reviews. I can't believe this story already has over 30 reviews :D I'm thinking about taking a one shot request from the 50th reviewer, (if this story even gets to 50 reviews. Still about 18 more reviews to go!) although I must warn you, I can't really write anything rated M. I mean, I can write about death and dark things like that to some extent, but I suck at writing smut, haven't even tried before. TBH, I think I do the best when writing fluff.**

**Secondly, after reading some reviews, I think you guys can read my mind ~O.O~ XD When starting this fic, I was thinking about including Belarus but then I thought it would over-complicate things. But when I saw ****CherryBot413 and ****Linkforever125's reviews, I started thinking about including her again. So, because I don't want to give anything away, let's just say Belarus may, OR may not play an important part in this fic... ;D**

**********Oh and also in regards to ************Linkforever125's review, I'm not sure if I should be revealing this, but I guess I can't see any harm. I live in Massachusetts, and I love it. Part of the reason why I really like living here is because it makes me feel like I have ties to America's history, y'know? I think all the states are awesome, but a lot of the important events before, during, and after the Revolutionary War occurred here, so it's pretty exciting, for me at least. I'm in love with history :3. It's also why I'm excited for Assassin's Creed III, Revolutionary War era FTW! XD So, yeah, I'll just let you guys have fun trying to guess the city I live in. I won't tell you if you're right though, I'd like it to remain a mystery :D.**

**********************WHEW! That was a long author's note. For those who read the whole thing, I congratulate you and here's a cookie for your troubles! And for those who didn't read the whole thing...well... I can't really blame ya XD. And now, let's get on with the story!**

**********************(P.S. sorry if you haven't read _Les Miserables_ yet and don't want the story line spoiled. I tried to keep the spoilers to a minimum but it's hard not to.)**

* * *

_What the _hell_? He lives _here_?!_

Feliks inwardly gaped at the sight before him. He stared at the huge emerald green lawn and the highly unnecessary stone fountain. The high windows brightly reflected the sunlight and the Greek Ionic columns added to the feel of classical architecture. And last, but not least, the Olympic –sized, outdoor swimming pool sparkled like a perfectly cut diamond.

_This is a goddamn mansion!_

"So, um, is this okay? Are you sure you don't want to go to your house instead?" Toris's shy question broke Feliks out of his reverie of awe.

Feliks turned his head to look at Toris with wide eyes.

"Are you, like, kidding?! Your house is, like, huge! Are you, like, rich or something?" Much of the surprise in Feliks's voice was not fake.

"Well…um, not exactly…" said Toris while he tried to awkwardly avoid Feliks's amazed gaze.

_Looks like he doesn't want to go into details. I bet Braginski paid for all of this then. Even the wealth of the Lithuanian royal family wouldn't be able to provide a home like this._

Knowing Toris didn't want to talk about it, Feliks just smiled and acted like he was satisfied with the Lithuanian's answer.

"Oh, I like, see. It's still a totally, like, awesome house! Let's go inside and get started on, like, our project already!" With that, the Pole grabbed the flustered brunette's hand and started to drag him towards the gigantic French door entrance.

Once they reached the threshold of the mansion, Toris took out a pair of keys and unlocked the doors with a satisfying _click! _

"O-okay. I guess we can just go inside now," he said as he went ahead to hold the door open for Feliks.

"Yay! Like, thanks," the blond said with a nod towards Toris as he entered the doorway.

"Oh, um, you're welcome," the Lithuanian replied with a small smile.

However, the Pole was already too busy prancing around the entire space to hear the brunette.

"Oh my gosh! It's, like, so HUGE!" he exclaimed as he skipped upon the marble floor. While it looked like he was having fun, what he was really doing was looking for clues.

_Geez, there's no signs of people living in this house. Where are the pictures? There's no personalization whatsoever. _

Toris looked extremely confused as to what to do about the excessively-hyper blond that was currently running around his house.

"Uh…um… Felicia?" he said weakly, trying to get the Pole's attention.

"Yes, Toris?" said Feliks, stopping his excited promenade to look expectantly at the brunette.

"W-would you like to go up to my room, to work on our project now?" he asked hesitantly.

"Sure! I can't, like, wait to see your room! I bet it's like, totally awesome too!"

_And full of secrets as well._

And with that, the duo started to walk up the grand staircase to the second floor.

Feliks inwardly groaned at the pain that was now resonating from his badly-blistered feet.

_The last thing I wanted to do today was walk up a long-ass staircase in these god-forsaken heels._

Once the two reached Toris's room, Feliks flung open the door and collapsed on the Lithuanian's bed. This was probably rude of him to do, but he didn't care as long as he was off his feet as soon as possible.

Toris blushed and tried to ignore the fact that Feliks was lying on _his _bed. He instead asked, "Are you okay Felicia?"

Feliks replied brightly, trying to keep the pain from his voice, "Oh, I'm, like, totally fine. Just, like, tired is all. Why don't we, like, get started then?"

The Pole chose this moment to examine the room. The walls were bare of any posters that might have given clues to the Lithuanian's tastes. The bed sheets and blanket were both a dull beige, and even the carpet was a plain, light cream color.

The only thing that stood out in the hotel-like room was a grand book case. It covered a whole side of the room, and was filled to the absolute brim with books. When Feliks squinted, he was able to read the names of some of the authors.

_Dostoevsky, Bernard Shaw, Doyle, Bennett, Wells, and even Blackstone?! He must be a literary fanatic…just like me…_

For some reason, this thought made Feliks feel oddly warm in his chest. But he internally shook his head and banished the feeling from his mind. He was a professional, dammit!

"So, um, have you read _Les Miserables_, before?" Toris asked while he sat down on the bed next to Feliks.

"Yeah, I've like, totally read it before!"

_In the original French, _he stopped himself from adding.

Toris's eyes seemed to light up, seemingly relieved.

"Oh, that's really good, because I've read it before as well. I guess that means we can choose the scene we want to do from the book right now. Okay, well, what kind of theme should we do?"

"Oh…I don't know. Like, how about something like…true love?" Feliks suggested while he scooted closer to the Lithuanian.

_Let's see what kind of reaction we get this time._

The brunette blushed darkly and stuttered, "W-well that sounds good. But, I was kind of thinking of doing something, um, less cliché? I can imagine that many other groups are going to do true love as well."

_He does have a point…I mean, I'd really like to make this project good. _Les Miserables_ is one of my favorite novels._

"Okay then, like, what do you have, like, in mind then?"

The Lithuanian looked embarrassed and refused to look the Pole straight in the eye as he said, "Um…actually, I was thinking about the relationship between Eponine and Marius. **(1)** I think it represented the theme of unrequited love very well. Especially in their last scene together. Even though it was very unfortunate, I thought it was a very powerful scene."

The brunette said this with a small trace of sadness in his voice. As if he had experienced unrequited love before.

The possibility of Toris having feelings for somebody else made Feliks tense and, perhaps even a little…angry.

_Calm down Feliks, what the hell's gotten into you! There's no time to dawdle over silly emotions. Still, his idea is quite ingenious. I doubt anybody else will do Marius and Eponine._

"That, like, sounds like an awesome idea! Yeah, we should, like, totally do it! I can be, like, Eponine and you'll be, like, Marius," Feliks said excitedly.

"Yeah, that sounds like a good project," Toris said with a small smile. At least he didn't seem so depressed now.

"Then, like, all we have to do is, like, rehearse our lines! I'm like, so glad we were able to decide, like, so quickly," the Pole said.

"Yep, me too," Toris replied.

The duo was then enveloped in an awkward silence. Feliks took another look around the room, more questions pouring into his head.

_Well, better start doing what I came here to do._

"So, like, Toris. Do you, like, live by yourself?" the Pole asked.

The Lithuanian seemed very reluctant to answer, but nevertheless he said, "W-well, um, sort of. I've been taken care of by a family friend ever since...um...well ever since my parents died."

Feliks felt guilty for bringing up the subject once he heard the brunette's voice become barely louder than a whisper. He had already known about the sad fate of the parents of the Lithuanian prince, but this was the only way to learn more about the specifics.

_Maybe this "family friend" is Braginski. That would make a lot of sense. _

"Oh my gosh, I'm, like, so sorry! It must be, like, kind of lonely, huh? That's how I, like, felt when, like, my parents died..." Feliks empathized.

This was not a lie. Ever since Feliks could remember, he had never had any parental figures in his life. After his parents had apparently died on a mission, the director, Julius Antonius, took it upon himself to raise the young Feliks. Whether it was out of guilt for being the one who sent his parents on that fatal mission, or out of the goodness of his heart, Julius was reason why Feliks was the model spy he was today. When others heard of Feliks's past, they could understand why he was so serious, why it seemed like he thought he always had something to prove. Whether or not he chose to admit it, his parents' death had a much greater effect on him than he would let on.

_This conversation is getting really depressing._

"Y-your parents are... gone too? I-I'm sorry. I guess we both know what the other is going through, huh?" Toris said with a sad smile.

"Yeah... I guess so. It makes me kind of, like, sad to think about them sometimes..." Feliks said, and surprisingly, truth could be found in his words.

"Me too. Sometimes I feel really alone, and...and..." Toris found himself unable to finish his sentence.

When Feliks saw Toris's eyes, he could see un-spilled tears that were threatening to fall.

Maybe that was why he did what he did next. Maybe it was his own pent up feelings, which he had worked so hard to hide over the years. Perhaps this was why he lowered the dam that held back his emotions, just for this one moment.

Maybe that was why Feliks hugged Toris.

To say that the Lithuanian was surprised would be an understatement. The moment the brunette felt the Pole's arms around his waist and the blond's head on his shoulder, his eyes widened and his cheeks were dominated by a bright red blush.

"F-Felicia?" Toris stuttered.

When he heard the Lithuanian's voice, Feliks finally realized what he was doing. In a flash, he scooted away from the brunette, horrified at what he just let himself do.

"I-I'm sorry, Toris. I-I think I should go now. I'll see you like, tomorrow, okay?" the Pole said quickly.

Without waiting for an answer, Feliks gathered his things and dashed out of Toris's room. He made quick work of going down the stairs and out the house. He just had to get away, away from that blasted Lithuanian prince.

Feliks left so quickly that he never heard Toris say to himself, in a soft voice, "Thank you, Felicia."

* * *

When Feliks got back to his apartment, he thought he was going to have a mental breakdown. Why was his heart pounding so loudly?

_W-what have I done?! I can't feel real sympathy for a target, much less hug him! Dammit, I'm such an idiot! _

By now, the Pole had collapsed on his couch and was in a curled up position, mulling over his situation.

_I've put the mission in jeopardy by letting my feelings get the better of me. The worst thing I could have done was feel sorry for him, and that's exactly what I did. From now on, I have to distance my emotions from him. The one thing I had to do was get close to him in order to get close to Braginski... but that's exactly what I can't do. _

When Feliks glanced at the clock, the time was 8:47.

_13 minutes until I get my briefing. That's right, I'm an agent. Someone who's not afraid to go to any lengths to get what they need. And certainly someone who won't let a stupid Lithuanian prince ruin his career. I just have to pretend that tonight never happened. Everything will be back to normal tomorrow. _

And so, for the next 13 minutes, Feliks prepared his gear for the upcoming mission that night. He did what he always did to distract himself; he enveloped himself in his work. He packed his knives, gun, and a plethora of other weapons, making sure that they were well hidden.

By 9:00, Feliks was no longer Felicia, but the top-notch agent that he was known for being. Gone were the high heels, fake lashes, and dress. They were now replaced by combat boots and the regulation full-body suit that all agents wore.

He was ready to fight and make this assignment a success.

_Besides, he'll hate me once he learns who I really am. And I don't care at all._

* * *

**Oh Feliks, you so dramatic! **

**To be honest, I don't really like this chapter. I kind of think I made a mistake and it's moving too fast, but I don't know...what do you guys think? And to be clear, Feliks hasn't fallen for our little Lithuanian quite _yet._ The main reason why he was so horrified was because he started to feel sorry for Toris and it makes things difficult when you have to betray someone that you feel sorry for, especially someone who knows what you're going through. Damn, my hands are itching to rewrite this chapter... but I'll just leave it be. **

**Anyways for the note:**

**1.) Spoiler alert! So, basically, _Les Miserables_ is about Jean Valjean and how he learns to... better his life (that's the vaguest I can make it). I don't want to give too much away, so I'll just explain the relationship between Marius and Eponine. Let's just say Eponine is in love with Marius, but Marius is in love with another girl named Cosette. In the end, Eponine makes a huge sacrifice for Marius and the last scene between these two is very sad yet powerful. I'd recommend watching the _Les Miserables 25th anniversary concert_ on youtube in order to get the real gist of things. In fact they're making a new _Les Miserables_ movie which I guess many of you guys may have heard of. I'm totally going to see it, I'm pretty excited for it!**

**So...yeah. I guess that's it. I'll see you guys next sunday. I hope you guys don't totally hate this chapter even though I really wish I had the time to rewrite it ****DX****. anyways, please review! Cya guys!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hi guys! Happy Veterans Day! And to those in the Commonwealth, happy Remembrance Day! It's today, but I still get a day off from school tomorrow, so yay! And even if you're not American or you don't live in the Commonwealth, you should still feel free to honor your own veterans.**

**Anyways, thank you to Moi, SmileyFacesSmile, Painting Politics and Poland, and the guest reviewer, who gave much-appreciated reviews! I really can't reiterate enough how much I love reading reviews :D This chapter is being posted pretty late in the day, which I apologize for. But hopefully, I'll be able to update tomorrow, since it's a free day! **

**I guess that's all I have to say, so here's chapter 7!**

* * *

It was 9:01 when Feliks heard a rapid knock at the door.

_He's late_, Feliks thought grumpily as he rose from sitting at the edge of the couch to open the door.

Once he opened it, the Pole was greeted by the sight of a rambunctious blond and- wait.

His two friends?

_What the hell? Just how many people are going to be on _my_ mission?_

"Hey Feliks! Ready to start your briefing dude?!" Alfred said as he swaggered into the apartment without being invited in.

All Feliks could do was stare blankly at the blond and say, "You're late."

At this, one of Alfred's companions gracefully entered the apartment, right behind the American, while saying, "Nous sommes desole.** (1)** Our petite Americain could not find his glasses."

"Hey! It's not my fault! You're the one who took all that time combing your hair!"

Ignoring the American, Feliks greeted, "Oh, it's you Francis."

_He looks so different with his hair tied and his uniform on, I hardly recognized him._

"Oui, it is moi! Did you miss me my little Polish friend?" the Frenchman asked while winking.

Feliks just rolled his eyes. By now, he was very much used to Francis's advancements. He had learned to take them with a grain of salt.

Immediately following the Frenchman, a third agent walked in. His piercing blue eyes and stoic face were strikingly familiar to Feliks, causing the Pole to narrow his eyes.

"I see even _you_ were included in this mission, _Coach_ Beilschmidt," he said with an annoyed tone.

"Guten tag **(2)** to you too. And it's not coach, it's Ludwig. Ludwig Beilschmidt, and yes, I'll be joining you on this mission," the German with a slight edge to his voice.

"Whatever, Mr. Wiener Schnitzel. **(3)** Just make sure you don't get in my way, got it?" Feliks threatened as he glared at Ludwig. Even though his better judgment told him that he shouldn't have been acting so hostile, he couldn't help but feel annoyed. First the American had "come to his rescue," and now this German was butting into his business. Did all his years of excellence as a spy mean nothing to the director?

"That is fine with me," said the tall blond as he returned the Pole's glare.

The two were having a full-out staring _battle_ until a certain American chose to interrupt as he shut the door.

"So dudes! Let's get on with the mission shall we? Mr. Antonius told me all the information we needed. He figured that paper was too risky, so I'll just tell you guys everything I know!"

_So we're counting on this idiot's memory? God help us._

"So, as you know, ever since Braginski showed up, the Russian mafia has been getting stronger." The American's voice had taken on a more serious tone. "The director has decided it's time we capture the bastard and throw him back in the jail cell where he belongs. Yesterday, our intelligence received word that the mafia is going to have a rendezvous tonight. Apparently, they're going to discuss business plans and how they're going to deal with their rivals."

"Will Braginski be there?" Feliks asked. All he was interested in was capturing the Russian.

"Most likely. But it would be unwise to try and make a move just yet. No doubt he'll be surrounded by his goons, and as much as I hate to say it, it'll be hard to get to him when there's over twenty guns pointed at us. Tonight, all we have to do is find out what they're going to do next, so we can figure out how we're going to lure Braginski out of safety. Everything after that should be a piece of cake."

"Where are they meeting?" This time it was Ludwig who chose to speak.

"Hold on, I was just getting there! According to our sources, the meeting is taking place in an old warehouse that used to hold parts for elevators. **(4)** It's actually a half hour drive from here."

_Why is it that mafia gangs always meet in old abandoned warehouses? _

"So, are there any other questions?" Alfred asked. "No? Then let's head out!"

And so, with a heroic laugh, the bespectacled blond led the rest of the "blond brigade" out the apartment door.

_What a fine bunch we must make. Oh, I'm sure _nothing_ can go wrong," _Feliks thought sarcastically, already thinking of the many ways the mission _could_ end up in complete disaster.

**~~~It seems that the site has run out of horizontal lines for me to use...~~~**

Four dark figures were crouched down, whispering among themselves under the cover of night. They were hidden behind a part of the crumbling stone wall that used to surround the warehouse. But now, it acted as the perfect way for the agents to escape the observant eyes of the mafia "watch dogs."

"Okay guys, so here's the plan. Since this _is _Feliks's mission, he'll be the one to listen in on the meeting. We'll be making sure nobody get in Feliks's way, right, Francis and Ludwig?" For once, Alfred's voice was barely above a whisper.

"Oui."

"Ja." **(5)**

"Sounds perfect," Feliks said, doing nothing to disguise the pleased tone in his voice and to hide the smirk on his face.

_Finally, some solo work. _

"Good. Time to get this mission started. Commence assignment!"

With that, the four agents went their separate ways. Francis took charge of the west side of the warehouse, while Ludwig went to guard the east side. Meanwhile, Alfred went to make sure their get-away car was left undiscovered and was ready for them to make their escape.

Feliks, having the most important job of all, made his way to one of the stone walls of the warehouse, taking in all the possible points of entry.

_It would be foolish to listen in through a window. It would only be a matter of time before someone spotted me._

The Pole looked around, taking note of the lack of transmission towers one would usually see in a deserted area such as this one.

_Hmm...it seems there's no main electric line leading into the warehouse. That must mean it has limited lighting, perhaps with it's own generator. Nevertheless, no generator that could provide lighting for the entire space could fit in there. Which must mean they had an alternate way to light the warehouse...maybe something like a...skylight._

At this thought, Feliks smirked.

_Oh this is too easy._

The blond took out a small grappling hook and rope out of his bag. Using expert aim, he threw it high above his head, where it got caught on a part of the building's gutter. After making a few small tugs, the Pole started to make his climb toward the roof with surprisingly great upper-body strength.

Once he was on the roof, Feliks scanned the area for the tell-tale sign of glass. Spotting a flash of reflected moonlight, he made his way toward it, smiling when he saw that his suspicions were correct. Slowly, so that he didn't make any noise, he knelt down and lifted up the glass cover.

When the Pole took a look into the warehouse, he inwardly groaned at what he saw.

_Life really likes to mess with me, doesn't it?_

* * *

**Oooh, I wonder what Feliks saw? XD **

**That's it for today guys, but fear not! I'll be updating tomorrow, so hopefully that'll make up for the short update. Again, sorry this is up so late. I ended up sleeping in today. I actually woke up and found that most of the morning had already passed, so by the time I ate "breakfast" it was lunch time... XD **

**Now for the notes:**

**1.) Nous sommes desole means "we are sorry" in French.**

**2.) Guten tag is a formal way of saying hello in German.**

**3.) Wiener Schnitzel is a kind of deep-fried Schnitzel made from veal. A lot of the time it's associated with Germany but it's actually the national dish of Austria, (according to Wikipedia) although I'm sure they eat it in Germany too. I just needed a nickname for Feliks to call Ludwig, so I went with "Mr. Wiener Schnitzel" because it sounded kind of funny XD. I hope it doesn't offend anyone though. **

**4.) Elevators...anybody getting the reference here? XD**

**5.) Ja is German for yes. **

**Welp, that's it! I'll see you guys tomorrow, hopefully before 1:00. Although, knowing me, it'll probably be late :P Please review! Cya!**

**P.S. - Would any of you guys know why the "Insert Horizontal Line" thingy isn't working? Sometimes, no matter how much I update a chapter, it just won't show up where I want it too. Anyone care to help out a noob? XD**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hiya! Lookie here, a post on Monday! **

**Thanks to KuroKoSuki for the advice about the lines :D, I'll try it the next time it happens. Also, thanks to Moi and SmileyFacesSmile for the reviews, they help me a lot more than you would think :) **

**Anyways, don't want to make this A/N too long so without any more delay, here's chapter 8.**

* * *

When Feliks looked into the warehouse, he saw what he had been expecting. The problem was… it was exactly what he didn't want to see.

Toris was standing there, dressed in a black trench coat with a somber look on his face.

_Just the guy I was trying to forget about. _

The Lithuanian seemed troubled about something. He kept looking around and fidgeting with his coat, as if he was expecting someone. For Feliks, it was weird to see the shy brunette that he had gotten to know standing in an ominous setting like this one.

Suddenly, another figured entered the warehouse with loud, purposeful footsteps. Everyone in the room turned to face this mystery person, and Feliks had to squint to try to identify the new addition.

From what he could tell, it was a tall man who was also wearing a long, dark coat. The most recognizable feature of the newcomer was his platinum blond hair, which the Pole could spot a mile away.

_Braginski._

Feliks narrowed his eyes, annoyed at seeing the man he had put in jail free once again. Already, he was picturing all of the ways he could put that Russian bastard out of commission. But for now, he just needed to listen in on the conversation.

"So, Toris, I hear things have been going well at your new school?" A thickly accented voice inquired.

The Lithuanian jumped when he was addressed, replying in a nervous stutter, "Y-yes, my n-new school is j-just fine."

"Good. That is very pleasing to hear. Wouldn't want my favorite pet feeling out of place at school, now would we?" Braginski said as he smiled creepily at Toris.

"Y-yes, Mr. Braginski."

The Russian's smile just grew wider as he started to pat the Lithuanian on the head, in a way very similar to how one would pet a dog.

"Now, as you all know, one of our rivals, the Dragon Brotherhood, has thought it wise to challenge our organization. It seems their leader is not satisfied with business and desires to take some of my clients. This is not acceptable, da? Which is why I have come up with a plan to make sure Mr. Wang knows his place."

_Great, even the DB's getting involved. But maybe this is a chance for me to kill two birds with one stone._

This time, a new, female voice spoke, "What is your plan, dear brother? I am sure it is _brilliant_."

Feliks's attention was drawn to the owner of this voice. He recognized the long blond hair and pretty face which hid the sadistic thoughts that were always going through the woman's mind.

_It's that crazy woman who's in love with her brother._

"Patience, Natalya, patience. All will be revealed shortly, sister." Even though his voice was commanding, Feliks still noticed the way Braginski scooted away from his sister.

_There are people in this world that even Braginski fears, _thought the Pole, smirking.

"I have organized a grand event that even Yao Wang cannot resist. Think of it as a masquerade ball, if you will. I have invited all of the leaders of the top gangs in America to attend, anonymously of course. While those oblivious pawns will think this is a perfect business opportunity, it is our chance to get rid of the Dragon Brotherhood. We shall give them the surprise of their lives, da?" the Russian said with a villainous grin.

"That sounds perfect my dear Ivan. And of course I will be your date for this event, correct?" Natalya's voice was sweet as honey, but held a hint of threat.

"Y-yes my sister, whatever you wish…" Feliks was delighted to hear a slight stutter and fear in the Russian's voice.

But when he turned his attention back to Toris, he noted that the Lithuanian was looking at Natalya in a… very unusual way. The brunette's eyes reflected longing, and Feliks did not like the way a small frown and a look of disappointment found its way onto Toris's face when Natalya announced her desire to be her brother's date.

_Why is he looking at her like that?_ Feliks thought, trying to ignore that weird feeling in his stomach.

Shaking his head, the Pole turned his concentration back onto the conversation.

"I have also called this meeting to inform you," Braginski continued, "that the same agency which put me in prison before is most likely coming after me again. We can't let them prevail again, da?"

"Do not worry Ivan, I will murder anyone who tries to get near my dear brother. Their blood will stain my knife and I will take great joy in gutting them like a fish," Natalya said with a mad look in her eyes.

Feliks just narrowed his eyes at the threat, having faced much worse.

_Bring it on, bitch._

"Yes, well, it is very comforting to know that my sister has my back, da?" Braginski said, obviously creeped out by his sister's possessiveness.

"As for you Toris, I am very eager to see what kind of date you will be bringing to the ball. Perhaps you should consider taking one of your new school friends? Do not worry, no harm will come to them during the event, I can assure you."

_Yeah right._

"O-okay, Mr. Braginski," Toris said nervously.

The Russian just smiled as he said, "I believe I have said everything I needed to say. This meeting is now adjourned. Make sure nobody interferes with my plans, da? Otherwise I will be forced to punish you, and we wouldn't want that, would we?"

And with that, Braginski exited the warehouse, with his sister trailing closely behind.

_I guess it's my turn to make my leave as well._

After taking one last look at Toris, who was now breathing slowly, most likely out of relief, Feliks left his crouching position and walked to the edge of the roof. He took a deep breath before he jumped off and landed safely in a roll.

_Now _that's_ the way you make an exit,_ Feliks thought smugly. As he made his way to Alfred and the escape vehicle, he pressed a button on his communicator, signalling the end of the mission.

* * *

"Hey dude, how'd it go?" Alfred whispered, once he saw the Pole coming towards him.

"Perfect. Just perfect," the Pole replied.

"Well, that's good to hear," the American said with a smile.

Once Francis and Ludwig arrived, the four agents drove away, not leaving a single bit of evidence that could prove they had ever been near that warehouse.

"So, what did you find out?" Alfred asked as he expertly drove the car through traffic.

Ludwig and Francis were also listening closely as Feliks recounted what he had heard, "Well, Braginski's displeased with the Dragon Brotherhood, especially with their leader. He's decided to hold a "masquerade ball" where I'm sure the Russian bastard's got something planned for them. I think this is a perfect chance to capture the two scum bags."

"Yes, but remember that Braginski's our main target. Don't try to bite off more than you can chew," warned Ludwig.

Feliks just scoffed and said, "Don't worry Beilschmidt. I can handle it."

The German just raised an eyebrow and said, "Whatever you say."

The blond grumbled in response and turned his head to look out the window. Ever since learning about Braginski's plans, he had some plans of his own formulating in his mind.

_And step one is to make sure that I'm invited to that "party." _

* * *

**Meh, was hoping this chapter would go into the next day, but I have some unfinished homework :P sorry. **

**Anyways, yay for the first appearance of Russia and Belarus! I hope this chapter answers some questions, but most likely it'll leave you with even more questions, which I guess adds to the suspense. I'm glad I didn't get this out that late, I was all ready for me to be up late in the morning trying to finish this chapter XD. **

**Well, hope you guys liked it. Please review and I'll see you guys next Sunday!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Aiyah! I should commit seppuku for I have shamed my ancestors! OTL**

**I'm so sorry for the late post guys. I hate being late for anything, especially for something I love to do. As for the reason for my tardiness, it all centers around school. I was up in the wee hours of Sunday morning kneading brioche dough for a project and then after I finished baking it (which took even more hours) I had to finish typing a 6 page English report. Anyways, I found myself going to bed at 2 AM and then after waking up at 5, I had to go directly to school. And so, that is why I couldn't finish the chapter and post until now. I am so sorry :(**

**Anyways, I must thank all of you wonderful reviewers! I can't believe the last chapter got so many reviews. Thank you to Linkforever125, upfromtheashes, StorfenglegurStelpa21, SmileyFacesSmile, chibichocolate1313, MinuArmastus, Tanglepelt, Volcarona, Moi, crazyjr, and FinDeiRoma for the awesome reviews! And thank you to ****SmileyFacesSmile for asking about my health. Even though I'm only a bit sick, it's really nice of you to be concerned over a stranger like me :)**

**And congratulations to FinDeiRoma for being the 50th reviewer! As I mentioned in chapter 6, they will be getting a one shot by me about any prompt they choose. I do wish I could write something for each and every one of you, I love you all! But to do that, I'd need more time which I just don't have D: It's because of Thanksgiving break that I decided to follow through with what I said in chapter 6. The one shot will probably be posted during or right after Thanksgiving, so keep a look out for that if you want to.  
**

**And so, before this author's note gets too long, I present to you chapter 9. Again, I'm sorry for the late update.**

* * *

Feliks and Toris sat uncomfortably in their chairs, both refusing to meet the other's gaze.

_Crap. It's really awkward now._

It was homeroom period and after the previous day's events, both blond and brunette were oblivious as to how to approach the subject.

_I guess I'll just have to defuse the situation myself. He better not make it hard for me._

"So, like, when do you want to, like, meet next?" Feliks said, finally turning to meet Toris's eyes.

When asked this question, the Lithuanian seemed at first surprised and then relieved. No doubt because he was dreading the thought of having to speak first.

With newfound confidence, Toris replied, "Well, I'm not sure. Maybe we can meet this Friday?"

Noting that Toris chose to ignore the subject as well, Feliks relaxed.

_I guess we're going to use denial then. That always works._

"Why can't we like, meet today or tomorrow?" said the Pole with a fake pout.

Toris seemed to struggle with answering the question as he shakily replied, "U-uh, I-I have some…stuff to do today and tomorrow. I-I'm sorry."

The blond narrowed his eyes for a fraction of a second. He was scrutinizing Toris as he squirmed under the "interrogation."

"Like, what kind of stuff?" Feliks asked, his tone suspicious.

"O-oh, just some…activities I'm, um, participating in," the Lithuanian nervously answered.

"Oh, then can I like, come and watch you?"

"U-um, uh… it's a,uh, family thing. I'm sorry," Toris stuttered, his eyes looking anywhere but directly at Feliks.

"Oh…okay then," Feliks said, suspicion present in his voice.

The Pole was definitely not buying into the brunette's weak excuse.

_Yep, he's a really bad liar. I bet this "family thing" is another meeting with Braginski._

However, Toris, believing that the blonde's curiosity was satisfied, continued the conversation, "Well, should we meet at my house again?"

"Actually, like, we can meet at, like, my apartment. My landlord is done with like, inspections," Feliks offered.

_Besides, I'd feel more comfortable in my own territory. I don't need to be reminded of what happened yesterday by going there again._

Toris seemed to brighten at the idea. He nodded as he said, "Sure, that sounds great. We can walk to your home after school on Friday then."

"Yeah, like, totally!" Feliks agreed enthusiastically.

_Now that that's out of the way, it's time to put my plan into action. _

Feliks opened his mouth and began, "Hey, like, Toris—"

But the Pole was cut off short when the bell sounded, signaling the end of homeroom.

_Dammit._

As Toris and Feliks got up from their seats and made their way into the hall in order to head over to their next class, Toris asked, "So you were trying to tell me something, Felicia?"

The chatter of the surrounding students of the hallway made the blond desire greatly for a more private conversation. He certainly couldn't talk to Toris now. Not with all of these students around, acting as distractions and possible witnesses.

"Uh, never mind. I'll, like, tell you in like, World History."

Toris just nodded in understanding.

"Okay."

* * *

But in World History, Feliks found that lady luck was not on his side. The moment the first period bell rang, the teacher cut right to the chase.

"Okay class, today I want you to be completely quiet and work independently on page 193 to 200 of the text. If anyone talks, then it's 5 pages of extra homework for you. You may begin."

Feliks inwardly cursed. Now he would have to wait even longer to talk to Toris.

_I guess it can wait until second period, _he thought as he took out his textbook and began his work.

* * *

_Okay. This is getting goddamn ridiculous._

It actually _was _getting pretty ludicrous. For the past 6 periods of the school day, none of Feliks's teachers had allowed any type of group discussion in their class. Whether it was an independent study or a pop quiz, the teachers seemed determined to keep Feliks from executing his plan.

_It's like a damn_ conspiracy.

Currently, Feliks and the rest of the school track team were sitting on the gym bleachers. They had yet to finish testing all of the runners, and Feliks was sure to be next very soon.

_Okay Feliks, you have to concentrate. I _must _get him to invite me to that masquerade ball. _

"Felicia Bor-kmorowski! Get your butt to the starting line! You know the drill," the booming voice of "Coach" Beilschmidt interrupted the Pole's thoughts.

Feliks rolled his eyes as he stood up from his position on the bleachers. He tried to keep most of the malice in his voice as he said, "Sure, _coach."_

_Ugh. That German bastard still manages to piss me off._

As Feliks made his way to the track's start, Toris gave the blond a thumbs up and said shly, "Good luck."

Feliks couldn't help but smile a bit at that. Once he reached the starting point of the track, he crouched down to a low starting position. He waited, prepared and tensed, ready for Coach Beilschmidt to give him the signal.

"Ready, set, go!"

And he was off. Pretending that he was being pursued by an enemy, Feliks raced around the track, making fast work of it. He felt the wind whipping at his hair, this being one of his favorite things about running. Quickly, the Pole finished running and headed back towards the bleachers.

There, he was greeted by mild applause from his fellow team mates. Obviously, they hadn't expected a "girl" like Feliks to be able to run so fast. Even the coach had his eyebrows raised, looking slightly impressed.

_And that's how we do it in Poland._

Once Feliks took a seat next to a wide-eyed Toris, the Lithuanian chose to express his surprise.

"Wow Felicia! That was really amazing. I didn't know you could run so fast!" the brunette exclaimed, blatant astonishment present in his voice.

"That _was _pretty good, Bor-kmorowski. I think we have a pair of star runners on this team now! As for you other wimps, how does it feel to be beaten by a girl! You better shape up, otherwise these two will leave you in the dust!"

At Toris's words, Feliks couldn't help but feel weirdly happy. But at the coach's words, he inwardly sneered and sent him a look that clearly meant '_your praise means nothing to me.'_

At this, the coach just stared blankly back, as if he expected nothing less from the Pole.

Turning his attention back to Toris, Feliks said happily, "Like, thanks Toris. Like I told you before, I like, love running."

Toris smiled at Feliks and the two sat together while the Coach Beilschmidt continued to test the rest of the track team.

"So...Toris," Feliks began, "haven't you been like, so bored lately? I have. I just like, wish someone would, like, throw a party I could go to. Don't you?"

"W-well I guess life has been a little dull lately... b-but I haven't heard of, uh, any parties going on at our school..." Toris said slowly.

_He's lying. Why does he feel the need to lie? _

"Really? Like, not a single one?" Feliks asked this as he put his face close to Toris's, searching for the telltale signs of deception.

Uncomfortable with the closeness, the Lithuanian stuttered nervously, "Umm...nope. N-not a single one."

The Pole continued to stare at Toris suspiciously until he finally gave a sigh.

"Fine... I'm just like, really, really bored. If you hear like, anything let me like, know okay?" Feliks asked.

"S-sure, will do," Toris said, visibly relieved that he wasn't under the scrutiny of the blond anymore.

Time flew by as the duo watched the others being judged and yelled at by the coach. Soon, the bell rang, letting the students know that school was over.

As Feliks and Toris stood up and made their way into the school hallway, Feliks asked, "So, like, you wanna walk to the locker rooms, like, together?"

Toris fidgeted nervously as he said in an apologetic tone, "Oh, um, sorry but I have to rush back home. It's for that...uh...family thing I told you about earlier. I hope you don't mind."

_Interesting. I wonder what Braginski's going to do to him._

Putting on a fake grin, Feliks said, "That's, like, totally okay. I'll just go get, like, changed now."

"Oh. Okay, then I guess I'll leave now. Bye Felicia," Toris said softly.

"Like, bye! I'll totally like, see you tomorrow!"

The Lithuanian gave Feliks a smile before he started towards the opposite end of the wall.

Once Toris had left, Feliks let his smile turn into a small scowl. As he made his way to the locker rooms, he started to brood. He was definitely frustrated with the Lithuanian, who seemed scared to let the Pole know about the masquerade ball Braginski was planning. Did the shy brunette have a different friend he wanted to take to the ball, instead of Feliks?

_That's impossible! I must be the only person he knows in the school. Still, the only thing I know for sure is that this is going to be harder than I thought._

* * *

**And that was chapter 9 ladies and gentlemen! Again, sorry it's up so late, but at least now it's up. **

**Also, hopefully, Thanksgiving break will allow me to post multiple updates in the week so I'm looking forward to that :D Anyways, I now must take my leave and study for my Latin, math and ELA tests for tomorrow :P**

**Please review and see you guys during Thanksgiving! :D**


	10. Chapter 10

**EDIT!: Due to technical difficulties, chapter 11 will be uploaded on Sunday instead of Saturday. Sorry about that guys :P**

**Happy Thanksgiving guys! And to my northern cousins (That's right, I'm talking about you Canadians!) happy, er, really late Thanksgiving ^.^'**

**Hope you guys have been having a great Thanksgiving break (even if you're not American, a person of any nationality should feel free to give thanks for what they have) Even though this update is really late in the day, we still have all tomorrow and all weekend to do whatever we want so yippee! **

**And now, I'd like to give thanks to all the reviewers from last chapter. Thank you to upfromtheashes, SmileyFacesSmile, FinDeiRoma, violet tsubaki, Aimless-A-Smiles, Techie Bunny, Shaded Silvering Grey, chibichocolate1313 for the reviews! All of my readers give me something to be really thankful for so...thank you! XD**

**Anyways, I tried to make this chapter longer than the others I've been posting lately. I feel bad for giving you guys such short chapters, since I'm not as fond of them myself. So I'll try to make each one at least 2k, but I hope I can write even more for you guys. **

**Well, here's chapter 10! :D**

* * *

If Feliks managed to grow any more frustrated, he would end up pulling out all of his hair. Of course, this would result in a scolding from Francis in rapid-fire French…and he would be forced to wear a wig, but that was beside the point.

Currently, the Pole was lying on the couch, wearing a dress, but he was definitely not relaxing. As he stared at the ceiling, he lamented his situation. It had been _two_ _days_ and Toris still had not invited him to the little "party" Braginski was holding.

_Time is running out. Why is he so hesitant to invite me? Braginski even _encouraged_ him to invite someone._

No matter what Feliks tried, he still could not get Toris to admit that such a gathering even existed. Any sort of discussion during school failed to coax anything out of the Lithuanian, and he had apparently been too "busy" after school to spend time with Feliks.

_Ha, yes, I'm sure he was very busy. Busy hanging out with that Russian bastard. _

And now it was the end of the week after school, with Feliks waiting for Toris to arrive at his apartment. The brunette even had to pass on walking home with Feliks because he had to participate in another "family thing" before coming to work on the project with the Pole. So now the blond was forced to wait anxiously as he could only hope that Toris followed his directions correctly and would arrive without a problem.

_Never before has someone managed to frustrate me so. Perhaps me doesn't want to invite me because…he's afraid of me getting hurt?_

Feliks shook his head vigorously, banishing the thought from his mind. There was no way Toris could care that much about someone he had met just that week.

_After all, we're nearly strangers. And besides…to me he's just a Lithuanian prince who's more trouble than he's worth. _

And that is what the Pole told himself as he waited for Toris to arrive. For he could not afford to think any other way.

* * *

Toris appeared at Feliks's door at around seven in the afternoon.

When the doorbell rang, Feliks got up to answer it with determination in his step. As far as he knew, today was the last day to put his plan into action, and it all depended on a certain Lithuanian.

"Hey Toris!" Feliks greeted excitedly as he swung the door open.

Sure enough, a familiar brunette stood in the doorway, smiling shyly.

"Hi Felicia," came the quiet reply.

"Well, what are you like, doing just standing there? You can totally come in!" Feliks said, gesturing for Toris to enter.

The brunette shuffled in as he said politely, "Okay, thank you."

After Feliks shut the door, he turned around to see Toris observing the apartment. He couldn't help but smirk as he thought to himself, _No doubt it's different from the mansion surroundings he's used to. Maybe his "princely fastidiousness" will choose to show itself now. _

"So, like, what do you think?" He didn't know why, but suddenly the thought of getting a rise out of Toris amused the Pole.

"I think it's really nice. At least, it feels more like a home than my house. To be honest, I get kind of uncomfortable in such a big place. This is much more pleasant," Toris said.

Feliks felt like rolling his eyes as he sat down on the couch, gesturing for the brunette to join him.

_I shouldn't have expected anything else from him, I suppose._

Once Toris took a seat, Feliks wasted no time in starting business. The faster they finished working on the project, the faster the blond could talk to Toris about..._other _things.

"So, like, Toris, what kind of script did you have in mind for the scene we're like, doing?"

Toris seemed embarrassed as he admitted, "Well, I actually brought my own copy with me. It's the abridged version, but I thought we could use it for the dialogue. We could make our own revisions later."

"Sure! Sounds, like totally great! Let's start right away!" Okay, maybe he was sounding a _bit_ over-eager, but this was Feliks's last chance.

The Pole quickly flipped the pages to the scene they would be doing. Toris looked on, wide-eyed at how quickly Feliks managed to find the right page.

"Wow. I guess you weren't kidding when you said you had read it before," the brunette said, amazed.

"Well, like, it just so happens that I have this same copy too. Like, totally awesome coincidence right?"

Toris smiled and said, "Yes, I guess it is."

"Anyways, let's get like, started!"

With that, Feliks slowly lowered himself to the floor until he laid upon it, face contorted in mock pain. He clutched his hand, apparently holding a wound. He could just picture himself, lying on the cold and wet ground as he waited for his love to come and witness him as he said his last goodbyes. In his mind, darkness surrounded him and the air was thin and smelled of gun powder.

Toris's smile was replaced with a look of distress as he got into character as well. He stood up, seemingly searching for something.

"Monsieur Marius! At your feet," "Eponine" called.

At this, "Marius" looked at the ground to meet Feliks's eyes. Immediately, he knelt down beside him, eyebrows furrowed in worry.

"I suppose you do not recognize me?"

"No, I'm sorry to say I don't."

"...Eponine. My name is Eponine," Feliks said weakly.

"Why are you lying here, Eponine? How did you get here?" Toris questioned, panic rising in his voice.

_Wow...he's a pretty good actor._

"I am dying," the Pole said simply.

"Oh God, you are wounded! Where are you hurt? I shall carry you to a room, and we shall dress your wounds!" This was said with urgency.

With that, Toris attempted to lift Feliks and in doing so, moved his hand. Feliks gave a small cry of pain.

"Oh, have I hurt you?" the Lithuanian asked, worried.

"A little."

"But I have barely touched your hand."

As Feliks raised his hand to the eyes of Toris, he said, "As you can see, it has been pierced by a musket ball."

"How?"

"Did you notice a musket aimed at you?"

"Yes, and a hand that stopped it."

"That hand was mine," said Feliks.

Toris closed his eyes as he shuddered at the horror of it.

"What madness!" he said. "But it is only a hand wound. I can carry you to bed and you will heal eventually. Nobody has died from a hand wound."

There was hope in the brunette's voice.

Feliks could only murmur, "Yes, the ball went through my hand, but it also passed through my back. It is useless to try to take care of me now."

"Oh God..."

"I can tell you what you can do for me though. Sit by me on that stone," Feliks told Toris.

The Lithuanian obeyed and the blond laid his head upon Toris's knees.

"Would you like to know why I'm here, Monsieur Marius? It worried me that you should go into that garden...oh but I am telling you what you must already know. It was me that lead you into this, and now nobody shall leave the barricade now. I was sure you were going to die! But still, I put my hand on the muzzle of the musket, oh how droll it is! It was because I wanted to die before you," Feliks said while taking deep, laborious breaths.

_Why does this feel so real?_

Toris looked upon the blond with compassion and sadness. Feliks suddenly started to spasm and clenched his teeth, seemingly holding in a scream. This made Toris start in surprise.

"Oh please, don't go!" the blond pleaded. "It won't be long now!"

The Pole sat up, barely upright. He brought his face close to Toris's and said in a pained voice broken up by hiccups and coughs, "Please, listen closely. I don't want to lie to you. Yesterday, someone gave me a letter for you. I did not want you to receive it, but I suppose you would not like that of me, now that we meet so soon. Here, take your letter."

Feliks grasped Toris's hand and led it to where his coat pocket would be.

"Take it," the Pole said. Toris pretended to take the letter.

"Now please, if you would. Please promise me..." Feliks hesitated.

"What?" asked Toris with wide eyes.

"Promise me."

"I promise."

"Promise to kiss me on the forehead once I die. I know I shall feel it."

With that, Feliks closed his eyes, letting his head fall back on Toris's lap. His breaths grew shallower and shallower, seemingly stopping altogether. It appeared that the blond had departed from that world, lying motionless. But suddenly, Feliks opened his eyes and stared into Toris's. Blue **(1)** met green as the two seemed entranced by the other's gaze.

Feliks began to say slowly, in an otherworldly voice, "And do you know, Monsieur Marius..."

_Come on Feliks, you can do this. _

"...I do believe I was a little...in...in lo...in lov-" Feliks struggled to say these last few words, which held so much meaning.

_I...I can't. I can't say it._

The Pole closed his eyes in defeat. He then put on a big smile and quickly sat up to face Toris.

"I think that's like, all we need to do today. That was totally awesome, don't you think?" He asked in a peppy voice.

The Lithuanian looked surprised for a moment, most likely expecting the blond to say that final line. But soon, a smile also found its way onto the brunette's face as he agreed, "Yes, I think that was brilliant."

And thus, the scene's spell was broken.

"Well, what do you like, want to do now? I feel like, totally bored," Feliks complained.

Toris seemed distracted when he said, "Well, I think that was perfect for our project, so I think we can both agree that we probably don't need any more practice. I'm really impressed, actually. I didn't know you knew the text so well."

"Well, I just like, love reading!" Feliks said hurriedly, worried that he'd come off as too smart.

"Yes, I can see that," Toris said with a small smile. The duo sat in a small silence, which was about to be broken by Feliks, until Toris beat him to the punch.

"U-um Felicia? You know how you asked me if there were any parties going on? And how you told me to tell you if I heard anything?" the Lithuanian asked shyly.

Feliks's eyes widened.

_Wait...there's no way he's going to just tell me. I can't believe it. It just can't be that easy._

"Well, that family friend I told you about earlier is going to hold a masquerade ball," Toris continued. "There's going to be a lot of his...um... business associates there but he said I could invite one of my friends from school...so..."

_No way._

"Would you like to go with me, Felicia?" he asked bashfully.

_Step one, COMPLETE!_

Feliks had to stop himself from smiling as wide as the Cheshire cat. Excitedly, he said, "Like, of course I'll go with you! Yay! This is going to be, like, so much fun!"

Toris's face seemed to brighten as well as he said, "That's great! It's next weekend. I'm really glad you can come."

_Me too._

"Awesome! You can just, like, email me the details, okay? It'll, like, be easier that way," Feliks said.

"Okay, sounds good. I guess I'll just go, since that's really all I wanted to ask you today. I still have a, um, family thing tonight, so I should hurry home."

"Sure! I'll, like, see you on Monday, Toris!" Feliks exclaimed as he got up and opened the door for the Lithuanian.

"Oh, okay. See you on Monday, Felicia," Toris said as he walked out of the apartment and waved goodbye.

"Bye!" And with that, the brunette was gone.

Feliks made his way to the couch and sat down, exhausted. Today had been an emotional roller-coaster. First he had been worried about getting invited to Braginski's "party," and then Toris suddenly decides to grant the Pole's wishes. Ah, but none of that mattered now.

Feliks smirked as the reality of this victory hit him.

_In just a week, Braginski **and **Yao Wang will be _mine_._

* * *

Later that night, Feliks sat at his computer awaiting the email from Toris. He had already told Alfred the good news and no doubt the American was already talking to the director about it. Now, all that needed to be done was wait for the details of the gathering and Feliks would be a happy camper.

As the Pole tapped the mouse, his face illuminated by the bright screen, he pondered Toris's actions. Why had the Lithuanian suddenly decide to bring up the ball when he had been so silent about it for the past few days?

_It just doesn't make sense. Maybe his "family gatherings" have something to do with it. I guess I shouldn't be complaining but...there must be something I'm missing here._

Just then, the screen updated, showing a new email in his inbox. Smiling, Feliks clicked it to see it was the email he had been waiting for.

**Sent at 10:00 PM, September 14, 2012**

**Hi Felicia,**

** Here are the details of the masquerade ball. It's on next Sunday, the twenty-third and starts at around noon, although you can arrive later if you want. It's being held at the World Hotel, mainly in its ballroom. As for the dress code, you'll be expected to wear a mask and a formal dress. I'm really glad you're coming, Felicia. It's always been boring whenever I go to these kind of gatherings. **

Feliks could just imagine the Lithuanian saying all of this with a shy smile. Feeling oddly happy, he continued on reading.

**I guess that's all I have to say. I'll see you on Monday, Felicia.**

**Sincerely, Toris.**

For Feliks, this little note symbolized a small victory. For the first time ever since his last mission, the Pole felt a sense of satisfaction and success. But this was just the first victory of more to come, he was sure of it.

_It's time to show the director that I can handle this mission. I've been feeling like a sitting duck, doing nothing but trying to gather information. Now, the action has found me, and I don't intend to evade it. _

And so, Feliks's first week of high school ended on a _v__ery _good note.

* * *

**Well...that took me a long time to write XD I don't know why, but this chapter was hard for me to write. **

**Anyways, the note:**

**1. In some of Himaruya's illustrations, Lithuania has green eyes. But I decided to go with blue because that's the color of his eyes in the anime and it provided a good contrast for Feliks's green ones. **

**As for the _Les Miserables_ bit, a lot of the dialogue is heavily based upon the abridged version translated by Charles E. Wilbour and edited by James K. Robinson. I guess this scene was part of the reason why the chapter was difficult to write for me. I tried to capture the...feel of it, the sadness. Although I'm sure it doesn't do the original by Victor Hugo justice. I think they're "performance" will be better once they do it a second time, in their actual presentation at school. Besides, this scene was incomplete at the end...**

**Anyways, hope you guys had an awesome Thanksgiving dinner and have an awesome vacation as well! I'll try to update again either tomorrow or Saturday, although it will most likely be on Saturday. And FinDeiRoma, as for your oneshot, the same. Please expect it tomorrow or more likely**** Saturday, as well.****  
**

**And now it is time for me to enjoy the freedom to sleep without worrying about school :D Please review, and I'll see you guys soon!**


	11. Chapter 11

**And now for the real author's note:**

**Hi guys! Gonna make this really quick since this chapter was posted late.**

**Thank you to jojoandpicnic97, Techie Bunny, FinDeiRoma, SmileyFacesSmile, DrowningHeta, and chibichocolate1313 for the reviews on chapter 10, you guys are awesome! It was really fun to read your reviews over Thanksgiving break, and I hope you guys had a great break too. :D**

**Anyways, onto chapter 11!**

* * *

"Alfred! Are you even paying attention?"

"Yeah dude! I'm hearing you loud and clear!"

Feliks rolled his eyes and reached across the table to snatch away the Nintendo DS that was holding Alfred's attention. This was met by a loud, indignant protest from the American.

"Hey! I was using that!"

"I'm sure Rainbow Road isn't going anywhere, Alfred. Now _please_ concentrate, this is serious. I called you here to discuss this new information I've just acquired. The least you could do is listen," Feliks said sternly, hoping to have finally gotten the message across to Alfred.

"Fine…" he grumbled in a voice that made him sound like a child who was just scolded. The pout he was sporting also helped to complete the image.

The two agents were sitting at a table in a small local café, carefully chosen by Feliks. It was nearly empty on that Sunday afternoon, perfect for covert discussion. However, the Pole had been having a tough time getting Alfred to settle down and actually _talk._

"Now as you know, on Friday I was able to acquire an invitation to Braginski's gathering. I now have the location and time of the event. I'm trusting you to make sure that the director gets this information, okay?" Feliks said.

"Sure, you got it dude! That'll be a piece of cake," Alfred reassured with a confident smile.

_I probably shouldn't be trusting this idiot with this kind of information, but it seems I have no choice. It's too risky to contact the director myself, and it's not exactly like Francis would be a more reliable agent for the job. _

"Yes, yes, whatever you say. And keep your voice down, for God's sake. Anyways, the masquerade ball is going to be held at the World Hotel. Most likely, you've heard of it. It's supposed to be one of the most famous hotels in America. The ball is next Sunday, and it starts around noon," Feliks said quickly yet clearly in hushed tones.

"Man, next Sunday?" Alfred said incredulously. "That doesn't give us a lot of time to plan. But at least we have all of that morning to set up our operation."

_What the hell does he mean by "we?"_

"Excuse me Alfred, but I _am _the only one attending this event right?"

"Nah dude, I'll be there too. In fact, Ludwig and Francis will be there as well. You know, to make sure nothing goes wrong."

"But you guys weren't even invited! How do you expect to get in?!"

"Don't worry man, the director's got it all figured out. The others and I will be posing as 'business associates' and if anything funny happens, we'll be there to deal with it." The way Alfred said this so calmly managed to get the Pole even more irritated.

"That's so foolish! Four agents—"

"That you know of," Alfred cut in with a cocky grin.

"That I- what." Feliks was far from amused.

"You know dude, don't even think about it. This all comes from orders from the director himself, so there's not much you can do about it," the American said while he stretched his arms and reached for a menu.

As much as the Pole hated to admit it, Alfred had a point. Even Feliks wouldn't blatantly disobey orders.

_Great, now I have to worry about God-knows-how-many other agents. Doesn't the director know that the more agents that are on the mission, the riskier it gets? _

"Oh and someone's supposed to be coming and training us on the 'art of masquerade balls.' I guess it's a bunch of etiquette stuff, it's probably going to be boring," Alfred added as he continued to peruse the menu's lunch choices.

"Really? I bet it's going to be Francis," said Feliks with distaste. It was clear he wasn't looking forward to learning anymore "lessons" from the Frenchman.

"Actually, I heard that it was someone else. Some mystery guy, but I guess we'll find out when the time comes," Alfred said as he shrugged, taking a moment to look at Feliks, and then back at his menu.

The Pole groaned and let his head fall into his arms. He really didn't want to have to deal with all of these agents, it just made everything all the more complicated.

"Hey dude, do you think they serve burgers here?"

* * *

On Monday, Feliks was on his guard. Ever since talking with Alfred, he had been expecting his new mentor to just pop out of no where. He had nothing to worry about though; that is, until he and Toris had ELA.

The class had been in session for ten minutes already and their old teacher was nowhere in sight. The class started to whisper, wondering where their teacher was.

"We probably have a substitute," Toris supplied.

"Yep, I think we totally have like, a sub," Feliks replied, knowing full well what this meant.

_Now I finally get to see who this mystery agent is._

Just then, a young man who seemed to be in his early twenties rushed into the classroom, muttering quick apologies.

"Sorry about that class, there was some bloody awful traffic today," he said as he took care of his things. He then started to write on the chalkboard.

"I'm going to be your substitute teacher for this week. Your regular teacher is out with a, erm, cold so until further notice I will be educating you on the subject of literature," he continued. "Finally, my name is Mr. Kirkland, and I expect you to remember it."

Mr. Kirkland then turned around, letting Feliks finally have a look at his face.

The Pole was greeted by piercing green eyes and a small scowl to match. But the most prominent feature was perhaps this man's gigantic eyebrows.

_Great, I'm being taught by a Brit._

"Now, who can tell me what this class has been studying so far?"

Feliks immediately raised his hand and Mr. Kirkland raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, the young miss in the back?"

"We've been working on our projects centered around _Les Miserables,_" Feliks informed him.

"Ah, thank you miss...?"

"Bor-kmorowski, Felicia Bor-kmorowski, sir." Was it Feliks's imagination, or did he just see Mr. Kirkland smirk for a fraction of a second?

"Then thank you miss Bor-kmorowski. Now, when we take a look at the comparison between Jean Valjean and Javert, we see..." And thus, Mr. Kirkland, who seemed to have already read the book, lead the class on a discussion for the rest of the period.

All the while, the girls of the class and perhaps even a few guys seemed entranced by the man's accent. This made Feliks snort.

_Americans really are predictable, aren't they?_

Once the bell rang, Feliks and Toris gathered their materials and made their way out the door. However, just before Feliks could leave, he felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned around to face Mr. Kirkland.

"Miss Bor-kmorowski, I would like it if you would come to this room after school. We have some things to discuss."

"Like, sure _teacher,_" Feliks replied snippily. He then turned around and quickened his pace to catch up with Toris.

* * *

After school, Feliks told Toris that he had to ask Mr. Kirkland some questions. Nodding in understanding, Toris said his goodbyes and waved as he left the school building.

Feliks then started his stroll to the classroom. There was no harm in making Mr. Kirkland wait, right?

Once he reached the classroom, he saw that the only person in the room was a certain American.

"Oh hey Felicia! Fancy meeting you here!" Alfred greeted animatedly as he waved his hand in greeting.

"Cut the crap Alfred, you know you can call me Feliks. Nobody else is here," Feliks said, annoyed.

"Fine, _Feliks._ Man, I was pretty surprised to see Arthur here today, weren't you?"

"Arthur?"

"You know, 'Mr. Kirkland?'"

_So his name is Arthur, huh? _

"Yep, me and Artie go way back! I guess I should have expected he'd be the one to mentor us. It fits him pretty perfectly actually."

"It's 'Artie and I,' and don't call me that you git."

Alfred and Feliks whipped their heads to meet the scowl on Arthur's face.

"Oh, hey _Arthur_!" the American said cheerfully, making sure to stress the Brit's name.

"Hello Mr. Kirkland," Feliks said stiffly.

"You can just call me Arthur, 'Miss Bor-kmorowski,'" the Brit retorted.

Feliks frowned.

"Anyways, you two are here for a reason, and that reason is to be trained in the art of the masquerade ball."

"Why isn't Francis teaching us? He seems like the kind of person who would know more about this," Feliks inquired.

Arthur's eyebrows furrowed at the mention of the Frenchman.

"That frog wouldn't know manners if they came at him with a grenade," he snorted. "Besides, everyone knows that masquerade balls were made famous in England."

"Whatever you say bro," Alfred interjected.

Arthur glared at the American.

"Lesson one! You're expected to speak proper English. That means no 'likes' in the middle of your sentences, Feliks."

"You can blame Alfred for that," Feliks said, also turning to glare at the American.

"As always, it seems," Arthur agreed.

"Hey! I resent that!" Alfred protested.

"This lesson applies to you as well, Alfred. Even more so, since you seem to have the perpetual need to butcher the Queen's English."

This elicited an immature grumble from the American.

"Lesson two: you will need to dance. One of the most common types of dances at a ball is the waltz. I'm sure you two are familiar with it. Now, I'm going to have you two pair up and practice dancing. Hurry up, we haven't got much time."

"What?! You wan't me to dance with _him?_" Feliks exclaimed.

"Cool! Come on Feliks, this'll be fun!" Alfred said enthusiastically as he grabbed one of Feliks's hands. Soon, the American had one hand on the Pole's waist and one of the Pole's hands grasped in the other.

_Once again, I'm playing the part of the girl, _Feliks thought grumpily. Reluctantly, he placed his left hand upon Alfred's shoulder. It annoyed the Pole how much taller the American was.

"Now, I'm going to teach you some basic steps. First, Alfred, step forward as you, Feliks, step back. The waltz is danced to 3/4 count signature music, so I'll be counting one-two-three as you practice, clear? Ready, set- one-two-three, one-two-three, one-two-three..."

This went on for the rest of the afternoon. At first, both Alfred and Feliks's movements were jerky and awkward, with the American stepping on Feliks's toes on more than one occasion. But with practice, their movements had become more fluid and graceful, until finally Arthur had declared their progress acceptable for the day.

By the end of it, both Feliks and Alfred were worn-out and tired, having been forced to repeat the same steps more than a hundred times. The Pole would have never thought something as simple as dancing would be this tiring.

"That's good enough you two. We'll continue this later. Go home and get some rest, and we'll meet again, same time as today. You may go now."

_Gladly_, Feliks thought as he gathered his things and rushed out of there. However, he was able to catch a few words before he left.

"So...Artie, how's it going? Haven't heard from ya in some time," he heard the muffled voice of the American say.

Feliks could just imagine the angry response from the Brit. The thought amused him somewhat.

_Hmm...I wonder what the history is between those two. Whatever, I have another grueling lesson with them tomorrow. I'll be sure to find out more then, _he thought as he hurried out of the school and toward the sanctuary of his apartment.

* * *

**Muahaha! England hath made his appearance! **

**I chose Arthur 'cuz to me, it kinda fit I guess. I remembered reading about how masquerade balls were popular in England in the 16th and 17th century and I just really wanted to include him. XD**

**Anyways, that's all for now! See you guys next Sunday! Bye!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Hey guys! Gonna make this short and sweet, 'cuz I don't really have much to say.**

**First of all, thank you to Volcarona, jojoandpicnic97, chibichocolate1313, FinDeiRoma, Suboi Airi, Shaded Silvering Grey, SmileyFacesSmile, Don'tDreamItBeIt, SableFable, and wildr0b0t for the awesome reviews! I really love reading them, they give me good idea of how to improve the story, which I find extremely useful.  
**

**And that's it, here's chapter 12!**

* * *

"Das ist genug! You may go to the locker rooms and change now. Class dismissed!"

_Finally_, Feliks thought ruefully as he hurried to the locker rooms alongside Toris. Today, track had been quite tiring. For a fake coach, Beilschmidt was quite the drill sergeant, making the team do lap after lap until he was satisfied and then ordering them to do push-ups. This made absolutely no sense to Feliks, who thought it useless to exercise the arms in a sport that required strength in the legs.

"Miss Bor-kmorowski, may I have a word with you?" Coach Beilshmidt called out before the Pole could retreat into the hallways.

Feliks tried his hardest not to huff in annoyance as he turned around to address the German with a painfully bright smile.

"Sure coach! I'll be right there!"

Looking at Toris, he said, "This'll totally only take a minute, okay? Could you wait for me outside the, like, locker rooms?"

Nodding, Toris promised, "Okay, I will." The brunette then made haste to outside of the gym and into the hallways.

Once both blonds were sure the Lithuanian was out of sight and earshot, Feliks's expression turned sour and Ludwig wasted no time getting to the point.

"Mr. Kirkland wanted to make sure you were coming after school to continue your lessons. I'm just here to remind you of that."

"Yes, yes, whatever. You can be sure that I haven't forgotten," Feliks said airily, resigned to the fact that this conversation was pointless. He started towards the gym doors, believing that their talk was over.

"Gut, because this time, Francis and I will be joining you," Ludwig added.

This made Feliks freeze and turn to reveal a look of pure scorn to the German. The intimidating blond just stared back with an unreadable expression, not affected at all by the hostile vibes the Pole was surely sending his way.

"Excuse me? You mean that Frenchman is on school grounds?! Why not bring the whole agency into the school?!" Feliks exclaimed angrily.

_That flirting idiot will surely blow our cover. _

"I suggest that you calm down, agent," Ludwig said in an attempt to placate the fuming Pole. "You know that both Francis and I will be attending this upcoming event and so, the director thought it necessary for us to be there during your training. Even I am not sure what Kirkland has planned for us, but I know better than to question the director."

Letting the German's words sink in, Feliks acquiesced with a grumbled, "Fine." Even if he was deeply displeased, he couldn't argue with Ludwig's reasoning, no matter now infuriating it was.

_Besides, with any luck, Arthur will make those two dance like fools as well, _Feliks thought with sudden delight. Grinning softly to himself, he made his way out of the gym to meet Toris, who was certainly waiting for him.

Sure enough, once he reached the locker rooms, the Lithuanian was standing around the entrance, nervously looking around for something.

"Hey, I'm here Toris! Sorry for like, making you wait," Feliks said apologetically.

Once the Pole made his presence known, Toris gaze quickly met Feliks's eyes. He then replied reassuringly, "Oh, um, it's okay. It was no problem."

Just then, the sound of energetic running in the halls started to get louder and louder.

_Ugh, it's him._

Soon, both Feliks and Toris saw the cause for the noise, in the form of a certain blue-eyed and childish blond.

"Hey guys!" Alfred cheered loudly in greeting. "I've been looking for you guys ever since school ended!"

"Hey Alfred," Feliks said, trying his best not to sound too sarcastic.

"Hello Alfred," Toris said pleasantly.

"Anyways, I came to get Felicia so we can, uh, do that...thing...together. Right Felicia?" Alfred explained.

"Thing?" Toris required. "What thing?"

_Thanks a lot, Alfred. Now I have explain this "thing."_

"Uh, it's a...kind of project for ELA. Both Alfred and I, like, asked Mr. Kirkland if we could do any extra credit and he like, gave us a group project to do," Feliks provided.

"Totally! So now we have to go to his classroom and work on it!" Alfred agreed jubilantly.

"Okay..." Toris said slowly. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow Felicia."

"Yep, I'll totally see you, like, tomorrow too! Come on Alfred, let's go. Bye Toris!"

Something unidentifiable flashed in Toris's eyes as he gave a small smile. It came and went so quickly that Feliks could only attribute it to a trick of the light.

_Huh, that was weird._

"Bye, Felicia." And with that, the Lithuanian was gone.

Alfred gave an awkward cough before he said, "So...should we get going then?"

"Fine, whatever," Feliks mumbled.

The two blonds walked in the silent, empty halls of the school. Of course, a certain American had to break this silence by asking, "So, have you heard about Francis and Ludwig?"

"Yes, I have," Feliks replied curtly. The Pole was still upset that the two agents were now being included in his and Alfred's lessons.

_It's like they're monopolizing my life, _Feliks realized, allowing himself to entertain the horrifying thought for a moment. He shuddered, deciding that such horrible things were best left alone.

"I bet it's going to be crazy. I mean, I've known them for a long time and whenever Arthur, Francis, and Ludwig are in a room with each other, it gets pretty interesting. Well, except for Ludwig, he's pretty silent and keeps to himself. So I guess it's mostly Arthur and Francis..." Alfred continued.

Feliks was barely listening to the American's rambling as he said monotonously, "Yep. Uh huh."

Soon, the duo reached the ELA classroom. When they walked in, Feliks was greeted by a sight which Alfred's babbling probably would have prepared him for, had he actually been listening to him.

Both Brit and Frenchman were arguing, most likely for arguing's sake. All the while, Ludwig was standing silently, back leaning against a wall, staring disapprovingly at the bickering pair.

"You're just _envieux_ that I have a better sense of style than you!"

"Why the bloody hell would I want to look like a frog?!"

"Because this frog is more fashionable than you ever will be!"

"Ahem! Hey Guys!" Alfred interrupted. Suddenly three pairs of eyes were all on him. "Uh...hey there. Has the lesson started yet?"

Arthur cleared his throat, trying to look like he _hadn't_ just been arguing for no reason, and said, "Yes, well...now that you two are here, I believe we can begin."

First, the Englishman taught them how to "mingle." He gave them examples of perfect anecdotes to use when holding a conversation with another and also gave them questions to ask that were sure to break the ice. All the while, Feliks couldn't help but think about how pointless this was, and he let his distaste be known.

"Why do we even need to learn any of this?" he questioned with a slight hint of anger in his voice. He was sick and tired of being taught these unnecessary lessons which he probably would never even use at the ball.

Now, everybody was looking at Feliks. Then, smiling, as if he had been waiting for the Pole to ask such a question, Arthur replied,"Well Feliks, it's as simple as this: you're a spy, aren't you? And what's a spy supposed to do? That's right, blend in. So even if you think this is useless, I still do _not_ desire for the mission to fail because a certain agent did the wrong thing and started to attract attention. I assume that's not what you want either?"

_Dammit, he's actually got a point_, Feliks thought grudginly.

"Fine, whatever," he said. That seemed to be the Pole's answer for a lot of things today.

"Now that that's all settled, I believe we have a lesson to continue. Now, I'll have you four pair up so I can teach you more of the waltz. Feliks, you'll be dancing with Francis and Alfred, you'll be dancing with Ludwig."

Feliks narrowed his eyes at Francis as they walked towards each other and took their positions. Quietly, he threatened,"You better not touch my ass, Frenchie. Got it?"

The Frenchman just laughed and said with a wink, "Whatever you say, _mon cher_."

Alfred was less than willing to cooperate.

"Wait, what?! Why am I dancing with him? Look at 'im, he'll make a terrible girl!" he cried indignantly, gesturing towards Ludwig.

Smirking, as if the American's discomfort pleased him (and it probably did), Arthur explained, "Well, that is because Ludwig is going to be dancing the male's part. And you, Alfred, are going to be playing the part of the girl."

A look of mortification found it's way onto the American's face as he exclaimed, "What?! But yesterday, you had me be the boy!"

"That was because it was only you and Feliks. I very well couldn't have had you _both_ dance the woman's part, that would have been ridiculous. Now that Ludwig and Francis are here, this is how the lessons are going to go on for now, understood? Besides Alfred, you'll be dressing up as a woman at the ball, so I suggest you start acting like one."

Alfred was speechless as he let this new information sink in. "M-me? In a _dress?_"

_Ha, join the club, buddy._

"But Arthur! I can't wear a dress, that's too embarrassing!"

"You can and you will Alfred. End of discussion."

"But-"

"No buts! Now get into position at once!"

The American looked like he was throwing a temper tantrum as he slowly stomped towards Ludwig and took his position as the girl. He was not pleased, nope, not pleased at all.

The rest of the lesson went about as smoothly as things could go. Albeit, of course, with Alfred sending death glares towards Ludwig and occasionally towards Arthur. It seemed he was trying his best to make the lesson very difficult for both of them, but he succeeded more in acting like a child than anything else. And as for Francis, who apparently had waltzed before, he kept leading Feliks into steps the Pole did not know at all, resulting in a lot of fumbling and angry outbursts from the shorter blond.

After the four had made some progress, Arthur said, "I think that's enough for today. You can all go home now and we'll resume this tomorrow."

Feliks, Alfred, Francis, and Ludwig all relaxed, happy for be done for the day. Even Ludwig's expression seemed less tense than usual, leading Feliks to believe that the German was probably relieved as well.

As Feliks gathered his stuff and prepared to leave, he heard Alfred continue to express his complaints to Arthur.

"But Artie, it ain't fair!"

"It's Arthur, you insufferable git and do not say 'ain't.' That is not proper English. And if you remember, Feliks also has to masquerade as a girl, so I can hardly find the injustice in that. Now stop your whining."

Feliks didn't stick around long enough to find out how the conversation continued, but he had a pretty good idea in mind. It involved even more whining and loud swearing on the Brit's part.

_Well, at least I'm not the only one who has to cross dress. _The thought made Feliks quite pleased. Misery loves company and all that.

_I just have to suffer a few more days of these stupid lessons and then the main event can begin, _he reassured himself.

_I can hardly wait._

* * *

**Muahaha, and that's chapter 12! **

**Not sure if I'm going to end up putting USUK in this story, but I'm probably not. I do ship USUK, but since this is a LietPol fic, it wouldn't be fair to those that ship FrUK or whatever the case may be. But, I don't know, you guys can tell me in your reviews on how you feel about it. **

**Anyways, that's it for today! Tune in next week to find out what happens at the ball! Cya!**


	13. Chapter 13

**And this is why in the last chapter I said "next week" instead of "next Sunday" for I am prescient. I knew I'd probably be posting this after Sunday. This week is going to be a hectic week as well ;P makes me all the more excited for winter break. **

**Now for the shout outs: A big thank you to CeceTheCupcake, Shaded Silvering Grey, SableFable, jojoandpicnic97, Prussia1297, SmileyFacesSmile, Vanellope, FinDeiRoma for reviewing the last chapter :D Because of your helpful reviews, I have decided to include a bit of USUK, as you will see in this chapter. Oh, and thanks to ****jojoandpicnic97 for pointing out a big error I made in the last chapter. Because of your sharp eyes, I was able to correct it fairly quickly, so thank you for that :D**

******And yeah, I guess that's it. Enjoy chapter 13!**

* * *

"_So, um, are you ready for today?"_

"Totally!" Feliks confirmed cheerfully.

_"Okay...well, that's good. I guess I'll see you there then. So you can find me, I'll be standing near the bottom of the main staircase. I'll be wearing a light blue mask."_

"Sure, I'll be keeping a, like, eye out for you then. See you there Toris!"

"_See you there Felicia."_

Once Feliks heard a small _click _he started to massage his temples and set the phone down on the table. Today was the day, the day of the masquerade ball, where Feliks was sure to catch Ivan Braginski _and _Yao Wang once and for all.

_There's still so much to be done_, Feliks thought as he groaned. He settled on the couch and mentally reviewed the day's agenda.

Over the course of the week, Feliks and the rest of the agents had devised a simple yet risky plan. All that was left was to wait for the others to arrive at his apartment to put on the finishing touches.

_I still can't believe Arthur convinced Alfred to wear a dress_, Feliks mused as he reminisced about the dress fitting session that had occurred the day before. Even though it had been quite mortifying for the Pole, it was nice to have the usually cheerful blond suffering right there with him.

Yes, Feliks could barely hold in a chuckle as he remembered the look on Alfred's face when Francis thrust a bra into the American's arms.

Glancing at the clock, Feliks noted that it was already seven minutes after ten. The others were supposed to have been present at ten o'clock.

There was a knock at the door and Feliks got up to answer it while grumbling complaints about tardiness. He swung the door open and glared at the Brit and Frenchman that greeted him.

"You're late. Again."

"Yes, yes, hello to you too," Arthur said quickly as he strode into the apartment.

"Pardonne-nous, s'il vous plait. Yet again, our dear Americain was giving us a hard time. We must apologize," Francis explained genially as he followed the Brit into the apartment.

Sticking his head through the doorway, Feliks looked down the hallway and spotted two figures that were slowly advancing. One seemed to be putting up a fight as they were being dragged along by the other.

"No way dude! I changed my mind! There's no way I'm wearing a dress in public!"

"Will you shut up you dummkopf?!"

_I see Ludwig and Alfred have decided to join the party. _

The American continued his loud protests until Ludwig finally managed to drag him into the apartment. Quickly, Feliks shut the door before Alfred could make his escape. Sensing defeat, the American sat on the floor with his arms crossed, his face scrunched up into a grumpy pout.

As for Ludwig, he was sweating quite a bit and chose to rest on the couch.

_Wow, Alfred must be a lot stronger than I thought. He even made that burly German tired._

"Now that we're all here, I believe we can begin," Arthur stated matter-of-factly.

"Fine by me," Feliks said. He just wanted to get this over with as soon as possible.

"Yes, well, let us go over roles and positions one last time then. Francis, you make sure to keep Feliks updated on progress. Other than that, you may just blend in with the other guests. Ludwig, you will be stationed near the exit. If anything goes wrong, or the mission has ended, you'll be able to get out quickly and prepare our escape. As for you Alfred-"

At this, the American gave a small childish whine. Ignoring him, Arthur continued,

"-you'll have to make sure you're no more than fifteen feet away from Feliks. You will be acting as his back up, understand?"

"..."

"I said, do you understand?"

"...Fine. But what are _you_ gonna be doing Artie?!" Alfred asked.

A pink blush dusted the Brit's cheeks and he gave a small cough before he answered, "W-well, I believe I shall be acting as your date for the evening. It seems that the director thought that would be the most fitting role for me."

"Oh," Alfred said, speechless for once. Immediately after, though, a grin broke across his as he said, "Awesome, we're going to have so much fun together Artie!"

"For the hundredth time, it's _Arthur _you wanker! And yes, well...today will surely be...interesting, I believe."

During this whole exchange Ludwig, Francis, and Feliks looked on, each with their own unique reactions.

Ludwig remained indifferent, and perhaps a bit bored.

Francis had a smirk on his face and mumbled something that to Feliks sounded like, "Even the director understands _l'amour._"

As for Feliks, well, he just wanted the Brit and the American to get a move on so they could finish the briefing. Clearing his throat, Feliks said,"If that's settled, then it's time for us to get ready for the mission. Come on Alfred, let's go put on our dresses."

With that, Feliks grabbed the American firmly by the elbow and proceeded to drag him into another part of the apartment. Alfred gave one last sad look towards Arthur as he begged, "Arthur, save me!"

Attempting and failing to pretend that this didn't amuse him, the Brit said, "Sorry, but Ludwig, Francis, and I have to put on our formal attire as well. I look forward to seeing the end result though. See you two in a bit."

Feliks felt no resistance from Alfred as he continued to drag him away. The American had his head hung low and it reminded the Pole about the first day he was forced to cross dress.

_Don't look so down just yet Alfred. I still haven't shown you the _wonders_ of make-up, _Feliks thought sarcastically.

* * *

As he stood at the top of the staircase, Feliks scanned the scene before him. At least a hundred people wearing masks and clothes of all shapes and colors were gathered in the ballroom. The air was alive with chatter and laughter, and several couples were already dancing, having a grand old time. One could barely guess that this room was actually full of mafia members and corrupted business tycoons.

_Great, how am I supposed to find Toris in this mess?_

Nevertheless, the Pole looked down towards the bottom, searching for someone with a light blue mask. Sure enough, he spotted a person with a mop of familiar brown hair and started to climb down the stairs, being careful not to trip or stumble.

Once he made it to the bottom, Feliks tapped the masked man and asked in a quiet voice, "Is that you, Toris?"

The brunette turned around, surprised, but relaxed when he saw Feliks. Then, with a smile that Feliks could see, thanks to the mask only covering the nose and eyes, the brunette said, "Felicia? Is that you?"

"Yep, it's me. I've finally found you! Thank goodness," Feliks said in relief.

"I'm glad you found me too. I was worried the description I gave you wouldn't be enough," Toris said.

"Well, here I am."

"Yep."

The two stood in an awkward silence before Toris finally said, "So...do you want to dance?"

He extended his arm out towards Feliks as he said this. The Pole took this invitation with a smile and said, "Of course."

The two began to dance the waltz, which was pretty much the only dance Feliks knew. But he was able to perform it flawlessly. In fact, the blond was pretty surprised that the Lithuanian was keeping up so well.

"So, I take it you've danced before?" Feliks asked, trying to make small talk.

"Yes, actually, I've been taking lessons for quite a while now. To be honest...you dance really well, also," Toris complimented shyly.

_I should hope so. After all those lessons with Arthur, it's nice to see the fruits of my labor._

"Um...I like your dress, it's very pretty. So is your mask," Toris commented, taking the time to look over Feliks's wardrobe for the evening.

It was true, Francis had truly outdone himself when he chose the Pole's dress. It was a soft shade of forest green with a skirt that flowed and swayed in the most stunning way. The sleeves were off-the-shoulder but were reminiscent of the classic "poofy princess" sleeves. The whole dress, especially the bodice, was tastefully accented with rhinestones that sparkled without overpowering the look. The best part was that the dress, along with the sparkly green mask, brought out Feliks's emerald green eyes. Even the Pole himself had to admit that the outfit had reminded him of springtime.

In fact, Feliks noticed that Toris was blushing as the Lithuanian took the time to actually _look_ at the Pole. And no matter how hard he tried to will it away, this caused Feliks's cheeks to darken to a rosy-pink color.

"W-well, uh, thank you," Feliks said as he inwardly cursed at himself for stuttering.

"Um, Felicia, you may think this is a weird question to ask, but you sound kind of...different."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you usually talk with a lot of "likes" and...well..." The brunette let his voice die out as he couldn't decide what to say next.

However, Feliks already knew what the Lithuanian was talking about. Ever since he had been informed by Arthur that the way he was talking was _not_ the way normal American girls talk (contrary to the teachings of Alfred) the Pole had been trying to find an explanation that would allow him to stop talking like a valley-girl. And so, he figured now was as good of a time as any to launch his explanation.

"I know what you're getting at. Actually, this is how I normally talk when I'm alone. I'm new to America and...I guess I just really wanted to fit in. After I watched a couple American movies, I assumed that that was how all American girls spoke. But I guess it was pretty stupid of me to assume that, wasn't it?"

"Actually, I think it's kind of...cute," Toris replied. Once the Lithuanian realized what he had just said, his cheeks darkened and he said quickly, "I-I mean that it was understandable that you wanted to fit in. But I don't think you have to pretend in order for people to like you. I think you're great just the way you are. I mean-"

"I think I understand what you're trying to say," Feliks interrupted with a genuine smile, effectively putting an end to the Lithuanian's rambling. "And thanks, that's really sweet of you to say."

_Problem is Toris, this isn't who I am,_ Feliks thought bitterly. _  
_

Feliks and Toris continued to dance to the calm music. The other guests became a blur of colors as Feliks found himself concentrating only on Toris. And surprisingly, the Pole found himself having fun, much more fun than what he expected dancing the same steps over and over would be. If only the Pole would realize that perhaps his dance partner played a part in how much he was enjoying himself.

Suddenly, Feliks felt a tap on his shoulder and was greeted by the sight of a man wearing a royal blue mask.

The man bowed slightly in greeting and asked in a smooth voice, "Excusez-moi, but may I cut in for a while?"

Feliks looked at Toris, who seemed reluctant to end their dance. But being polite as he was, the Lithuanian said, "Sure. We can dance together later Felicia. I'll just get some refreshments, I guess."

"Okay Toris, I'll be with you right after."

"Right. Well...until then," Toris said. And then he disappeared into the crowd.

Turning back to the "mystery man" Feliks asked in a hushed voice, "What now Francis?"

Before answering, the Frenchman took one of the Pole's hands in his and put his other hand upon Feliks's waist. After the two started to dance, it was then that Francis chose to respond. He leaned in so that he could whisper softly into Feliks's ears.

"You must listen closely, mon ami."

* * *

**And thus it ends with a semi-cliffhanger! I was hoping to make this chapter longer but I am pressed for time and I thought this was a good place to end the chapter. In this chapter, I feel like we start to see more chemistry develop between our favorite Pole and Lithuanian. And if the next chapter ends up being as long as I want it to be, then we'll be seeing a lot of the inner thoughts of Feliks.**

**Anyways, it's about 1:30 AM and I am exhausted. I have a French test tomorrow so wish me luck ^.^ See you guys next week, probably next Monday instead of Sunday. Bye!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Oh goodness, this chapter is reeeaaally overdue T.T I'm so sorry guys, I've just been so busy, what with term tests, surprise essays, and a winter concert. I also encountered a bit of writer's block, which is never pleasant. Long story short, been super busy, so I couldn't update till now. And I feel horrible because I pushed the update onto Thursday, and I ended up updating today :( I really hate breaking promises. But, I shall not dwell on it, for at least the chapter is out now.**

**I'd also like to say that everyone here in Massachusetts is praying for all those affected by the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. I know that nothing I say can lessen the pain, but just know that the world is mourning the loss of those innocent children and adults too. It hits pretty close to home, since I'm relatively not that much older than those young victims (don't worry, I'm still old enough to use FF. net), and also since Massachusetts is just right above Connecticut. It all makes me wonder that small: _What if...?_ **

**Also, going to forego the usual shout outs for the reviews. I'm sure that you guys are much more interested in reading this new chapter ASAP, so I'm just going to do a big collected thank you to all those who reviewed the last chapter. And even if you didn't review, thank you for even taking the time to read my work. **

**And now, onto chapter 14! (this may have a lot of mistakes, since this is rushed and therefore, not proofread.)**

* * *

"While I was mingling with our fellow guests, I managed to overhear a conversation between Ivan Braginski and Yao Wang. It seems that the Russian has invited Monsieur Wang to enjoy some spirits in a private room later. The moment you see them leave the ballroom, you must follow them," Francis whispered urgently.

"What about Alfred and Arthur? They were told to keep close," Feliks whispered in response. He took the moment to look out of the corner of his eye and observe the American and Brit. Both were dancing awkwardly together, avoiding each other's gaze. Alfred was looking at the floor while Arthur was taking care to not step on the hem of the American's light lilac dress.

_This is… kind of painful to watch._

Francis was probably thinking the same thing as he murmured, "Ah, it is a shame when two people cannot admit **(1)** leur amour."

Subtly rolling his eyes, Feliks said, "Never mind them, just tell me what the full plan is."

In a voice barely audible, even to Feliks, Francis said, "If you insist, mon ami. After I leave, you will have to resume dancing with your Lithuanian friend. However, if you see Braginski and Wang start to make their way to the private room, make sure you don't lose them. Ludwig and I will also be keeping an eye on the Russian, and will start to prepare our escape once we see all three of you exit the ballroom. Remember, if there are any complications, you can press the jewel on your left earring and Alfred and Arthur will come to help you. So for now, you must be alert and keep your eyes open, understood?"

Feliks softly nodded his head, deciding that the less words spoken, the better. Suddenly, Francis took a large step away from the Pole.

"Then I must leave," he announced with a grin. The Frenchman turned quickly, making his blond locks whip behind him, and disappeared into the crowd.

_Why did he leave in such a hurry?_ Feliks wondered. He found his answer, though, when he spotted a familiar bob of brown hair coming towards him.

"Hi Felicia, I'm back. It was starting to get boring at the refreshment table. Where did the man you were dancing with go?" Toris said. However, the last question was asked with a certain interest that Feliks couldn't help but be suspicious of.

"Oh, that stranger? I don't really know where he went. We just danced for a while and then he suddenly had to leave. I have no idea why he even asked me to dance," Feliks explained.

_Ugh, that is the lamest lie I have ever told. Still, I can't let Toris think that I actually know the guests at this party, that would mean I'm affiliated with the_ mafia.

"Oh...okay... if you say so. Hmm, I really wonder who that man was..."

_Shit, he's suspicious. Better distract him._

"Hey Toris, why don't we start dancing already?"

And without waiting for a reply from the brunette, Feliks grabbed Toris's hand in his own, and then placed the Lithuanian's other hand on his waist. Even though Toris had been startled by this sudden action, he was able to smoothly lead Feliks into a slow waltz.

Soon, the two were smiling at each other as they once again engaged in dance. But Feliks couldn't afford to lose himself in the moment this time; he had to make sure that the recognizable platinum mop of Braginski's never escaped his sight. The Pole would take tiny glances over Toris's shoulder, trying to be inconspicuous at the same time.

After a few hours, Feliks was wondering if Francis had heard wrong. So far, he and Toris had danced to countless songs, having to rest quite a few times as a result. And although the Pole would never admit it, to say that Feliks hadn't enjoyed it wasn't a lie. But the fact remained that Braginski and Wang had not moved at all from their spot next to one of the tall windows.

_It's getting pretty late, why aren't they leaving yet?_

Suddenly, Feliks saw the Russian lean down in order to whisper something into the Asian's ear. After Yao nodded, the two started to push through the mass of other ball guests and reached the grand staircase.

As the two criminals were slowly climbing the stairs, Feliks took a glance toward Alfred and Arthur. Apparently, they had noticed this new event as well, for when Alfred and Feliks's eyes connected, the American gave a small wink.

_Show time._

"I'm really sorry Toris, but I have to go. It's already dark outside and I, uh, have some more homework to do," Feliks told Toris. The Pole inwardly cringed at the pause he took. Why did lying to Toris of all people suddenly make him feel...nervous?

Disappointment flashed in the Lithuanian's eyes, but the brunette was able to give a tiny smile as he said, "Okay, if you have to go, don't let me keep you. I...really had a lot of fun tonight Felicia. I'll see you at school on Monday then. We still have that project, remember?"

"I had a lot of fun too, Toris. And of course I remember our project presentation," Feliks said, returning Toris's smile. He looked toward the staircase and saw that Braginski and Wang were almost at the top. Quickly, he continued, "I really must be going. Bye Toris."

Feliks had no idea why he did what he did next, but his actions would cause him to lose sleep many hours later that night.

Just before turning around to follow the two criminals, the Pole, as fast a lightning, leaned his head closer to Toris's. Suddenly, Feliks's lips met skin, resulting in a quick kiss on the cheek.

Without another word, Feliks walked away quickly, desiring to hide himself in the crowd. His lips were tingling and his cheeks felt like they were engulfed in a crimson fire. The Pole kept facing forward, however, determined to not let Braginski out of his sight.

_W-why the hell did I do that?_ Feliks just had to ask himself as he walked as fast as his shoes would allow. He tried not to make eye contact with any of the other guests he passed, for some irrational fear that they would be able to read his thoughts just by looking at his eyes.

If only the Pole had allowed himself to take a quick glance behind him, then he would have seen Toris. He would have known that as he left, the Lithuanian had been gently touching his cheek with wide eyes.

* * *

Outside of the ballroom, it was much quieter, which was just what Feliks preferred. He was also thankful for the plush, red carpeting which did well to muffle the small _clack!'_s his high heels usually made.

He had been tailing Braginski and Wang for about a minute, taking care to not be seen or heard. Finally, the two mafia leaders headed into a random room at the end of a hallway.

_Time to get changed._

With haste, Feliks made his way to a secluded corner of the hallway and started to undress. Of course, underneath his elegant light green dress, he had been wearing a black strapless tank top and a pair of easy-to-move-in black pants. All he needed to do was shed his heavy dress, put on a thin, dark jacket, and finally replace his god-forsaken high heels with much more practical boots. Thankfully, he had been able to hide all of these supplies underneath the skirt of his dress.

By the time Feliks was done changing, there was a pile of clothes left on the floor. Knowing this could cause a problem, the Pole pressed one of the "jewels" on his bracelet.

_There, now Alfred will know to collect these before anybody else sees them. _

After taking one final glance to make sure he hadn't forgotten anything, Feliks quietly walked to the door of the mysterious room that the two criminals had entered.

_There must be an alternate entrance_, Feliks thought as he scanned his surroundings. Carefully, he took out a small blueprint of the hotel that he had been able to acquire and diligently looked through it's contents.

_Hmm, this is room 218. According to this, there's a vent that leads into it. One of the access points is a bathroom near here. Hopefully, the vent is big enough for me to fit into. _

He rolled up the piece of paper and put it back into his pocket, and then made his way to the bathroom around the corner. After making sure no one was inside, he took two glances to the left and right and then entered.

Feliks cringed as the sound of his boots against the tiles were magnified in the echo of the bathroom. Nevertheless, he looked urgently for the vent that had been indicated on the blueprint.

_There you are_, he thought with a smirk as his eyes finally rested upon a vent grill in the ceiling. Using some impressive acrobatic prowess, he climbed to the top of one of the bathroom stalls, making sure he found a secure position. Thankfully, this hotel had some thick stall doors, so the Pole was able to perch upon one like a bird. He then took out a small screwdriver from his jacket pocket and carefully started to take out the screws of the grill.

After a few painstaking moments, he pushed the vent grill up and pushed it to the side, revealing a hole just big enough for him to fit into. Using a chin-up-like maneuver, he soon found himself on his stomach, surrounded by the metallic walls of the vent.

_Damn, it's really dusty here_, Feliks inwardly complained as he used his elbows and knees to push himself forward. Slowly, he made his way to room 218 through the dark and musty tunnels.

After about a minute of crawling in the vent, Feliks saw an opening where several beams of bright light were shining through.

_Finally, _he thought as he was filled with new energy at the prospect of reaching the end of his journey.

He looked down into the opening, and sure enough, he saw the light platinum blond hair of Ivan Braginski. The Russian was sitting in one of the plush hotel chairs, across from another raven-haired man, who Feliks knew had to be Yao Wang. The Pole started to breath as shallowly as possible so he could listen in on their conversation.

"Ah, Yao, why don't you take off that stuffy mask? You are in friendly company, da?" Ivan spoke in a chillingly cheerful voice.

"If you insist, Ivan," Yao consented, bringing a hand to his face and slowly taking off the red and gold mask. Both Ivan and Feliks could clearly see the smug smile the Asian was sporting.

_He knows_, was all Feliks could think.

"There we go, now I can see that pretty face," Ivan said, a wide predatory smile now dominating his face.

"You of all people know that flattery will get you nowhere, Ivan."

"But you are my favorite, da? Of all the other leaders, I find it the most pleasant to do business with you."

"You and I both know that is not true."

"I can assure you that it is," Ivan said, his smile still in tact. However, his eye narrowed by the smallest margin as he continued, "However, I'm afraid this meeting does not come with more, how would you say, _positive_ circumstances."

Yao's face mirrored Ivan's as he responded, "There is no need to continue. I think we both know why I'm here Ivan. I have angered the great leader of the Russian mafia, haven't I?"

Ivan didn't look surprised at all as he chuckled, "Ah, it seems I have underestimated you yet again Yao. Yes, you are correct. You should know that I do not appreciate the Dragon Brotherhood cutting into my business, no matter how favored you were by me."

"So you're going to punish me now, is that it? I'll let you know that I am not afraid of you, Ivan. The recent actions of the Dragon Brotherhood were no mistake. Let it be known that the Triad **(2)** has officially declared war on the Russian mafia, with me as their leader. Although, it was nice that you put on this elaborate ball in order to catch me in a trap."

The smile on Ivan's face was completely gone now. His voice took on a more threatening tone as he said, "Don't you think that is a bit foolish? To challenge the most powerful leader the Russian mafia has ever seen? I fear your mind has gone soft, Yao."

There was a sudden _b__ang!_ as the table between the two hit the wall. Yao had thrown it, and now the Asian had a knife pressed to Ivan's throat as he murmured, "I think you'll find that my mind is as sharp as ever Ivan."

_Shit, they're going to start fighting, _Feliks thought angrily. He had been counting on the Russian to subdue Wang, but apparently the Pole, as well, had underestimated Yao.

Ivan smirked as he grabbed Yao's wrist and squeezed, making the Asian drop the knife to the floor.

"Then shall we dance this dance?"

"Let's."

Yao then brought his right leg up, aimed for a kick to Ivan's head, which the Russian easily dodged. And thus, their battle had started.

Feliks looked on, noting the different techniques of the both of them. Of course, Ivan had immense strength, which made him an impressive fighter. He could surely have Yao on the floor, if only he could land a hit.

But for what he lacked in brawn, Yao made up for in speed and accuracy. The Asian was able to dodge every one of Braginski's attacks, and successfully returned some of his own.

Still, for Feliks, this meant that his plans to capture both Braginski and Wang were ruined. Now that the two were fighting on even ground, there's was not way the Pole could incapacitate both of them. Even if the two were fighting against each other, they wouldn't hesitate on teaming up to defeat an agent.

_I...can't believe it. I'm going to have to call for back up, _Feliks thought dejectedly. This was his mission, but if it's success depended on him sucking up his pride, then...so be it.

Without another thought, the Pole pressed the jewel on his left earring. Immediately, the jewel on his right earring started to glow faintly, and was starting to get slowly brighter, signalling that Alfred and Arthur had gotten the message and were coming closer.

Below Feliks, the two gang leaders were still fighting it out, and neither one showed signs of tiring.

_Time for me to break up this little party then. _

Feliks removed the covering of the vent opening and moved into a crouching position, poised and ready to jump.

Braginski and Wang were alerted to the Pole's arrival thanks to a loud _thud!_

Both men turned to face Feliks in surprise. However, their wide-eyed expressions were soon replaced with smirks.

"Agent Lukasiewicz, I should have known you would have wanted to join in on the festivities. It's always _so_ nice to see the man who put me in jail, da?" Ivan practically purred.

"Drop the formalities, Braginski. Like you said, I've put you away once, and I can do it again just as easily," Feliks said maliciously. The Pole was in a defensive stance, ready for any sudden attack.

"Oh, **(3) **ni hao! So _you're _the one who caught this Russian. I must say, I'm impressed," Yao praised. "However, my hate for your organization, I'm afraid, outweighs the hate I have for Ivan. So...I guess this means goodbye, agent."

Yao suddenly made a move to strike Feliks, just like a cobra.

_So it's him who attacks first? Predictable. _

However, the Pole had been prepared for this, and easily blocked the attack. Feliks then aimed for Yao's legs, but the Asian was able to immediately regain his footing. Now, it was a battle between two skilled lightweights, with each not being able to land a blow on the other.

Ivan observed this impressive martial arts performance, eyes bright with amusement.

"It was stupid of you to come alone, agent," Yao hissed as he blocked another one of Feliks's blows. "Even if you are a match for me, there's no way you'll be able to handle both of us."

The glow of Feliks's earring was almost as bright as the sun by now.

"That's where you're wrong."

Suddenly, the door opened with a _bang!_ and two blonds burst in.

"Hey dude, you call for some help from the hero?!"

"Really Alfred, you have to learn to sense the bloody mood," Arthur said as he rolled his eyes.

Yao had been startled by the sudden entrance of the agents, and this allowed Feliks to land a blow to his side and force him on the ground.

Ivan's eyebrows raised in slight surprise. However, he started to laugh as he said, "The great agent Lukasiewicz calling for help? Somehow, I find that immensely hilarious!"

"Shut up Ivan! It's over! You're outnumbered, so you mind as well surrender now," Feliks snarled angrily.

"Oh, I wouldn't say that little Pole. Remember, we're all just players in this game of life. And what kind of player would I be if I didn't have a _wild card?_"

The Russian snapped his fingers and in a flash, several thugs appeared from all different sorts of places around the room. One even came out from under the bed.

_Damn it, I should have known._

"So I believe, agent Lukasiewicz, this is checkmate."

It was complete pandemonium. The three agents had to spar against multiple mafia members, with Alfred focused mainly on battling Ivan. Yao had been able to escape Feliks's hold on him, and now the two had also resumed their fight. Arthur, on the other hand, was tasked with taking out as many thugs as he could.

There was a sickening crunch, and Feliks and Arthur turned around just in time to see Alfred fall to the ground. Above the American, Ivan held a rusty pipe faucet.

"ALFRED!" they both cried out. Arthur immediately rushed to the fallen figure, his face full of worry.

"Oops. It seems he could not avoid my trusty pipe, da?" Ivan giggled sadistically.

"Braginski, you bastard!"

_Alfred is hurt! We have to get him out of here...but... if we leave now, the mission will be a complete failure!_

Feliks looked at the scene before him. Arthur had the American's head in his lap, and he could see a small trickle of blood coming from an unseen wound.

"Arthur...we have to go."

The Brit looked up in surprise, not believing what he just heard.

"But Feliks...your mission..." Even Arthur knew how much this mission meant to the Pole.

"We have to go...NOW!" Feliks barked. Wasting no time to break apart from his battle with Yao, the Pole went to Alfred and Arthur and slung one of the American's arms over his shoulders. Following suit, Arthur did the same, and the two quickly carried Alfred out of the room.

Ivan's thugs were about to go after them, until Ivan held his hand up and ordered, "Leave them. They are of no concern to us. Besides, I have a feeling we will be meeting again, very soon."

"Aiyah! So you're letting them go? How very unlike you Ivan," Yao spoke up. However, his chest was still heaving after his battle with Feliks.

"I think you'll find that I have a reason for everything, Yao. Besides, don't we have a fight to continue?"

"No way! Now that you've revealed your thugs, I think it's time I should go. **(4) **Zai jian!"

And with that, the Dragon Brotherhood leader quickly exited the room, knowing when the stakes were against him.

Ivan smiled and called out, "Until next time, Yao-yao!" **(5)**

* * *

As for Feliks, he was in the back of the agents' escape van, working with Arthur to treat Alfred's head wound.

"Where the bloody hell is the gauze?!"

"It should be in the first aid kit," Ludwig answered.

"Arthur, mon ami, perhaps you should try to calm down?"

"Calm down? Alfred is hurt and you want me to CALM DOWN?!"

In a rare show of emotion, Feliks said placatingly, "Arthur...I think you should listen to Francis. The best thing for Alfred right now is that you stay calm. Now, hand me that gauze so I can finish wrapping this wound."

"I...I guess you're right Feliks. Sorry about that. Here," Arthur apologized as he handed the gauze to the Pole.

After Feliks finished wrapping the white fabric around Alfred's head, Arthur brought a cool cloth to the American's forehead and started dabbing at it.

"Hgn... ugh..."

Alfred had started to groan and soon, his eyes fluttered open.

"Alfred?"

"Ergh...what happened?" the American moaned groggily. He gingerly brought a hand up to touch his head.

"You were hit in the head with a pipe, poppet. We're going to headquarters right now so you can get that wound of yours checked by a real doctor."

"Oh. Well...did we win?"

"I'm afraid we had to leave right after you fell, Alfred," Arthur explained.

The American started to sit up with great effort. He then turned to Feliks and said, "Hey dude...sorry for costing you your mission."

The Pole shook his head and gave a small smile to show that he wasn't mad.

"It's okay Alfred. Besides, I was the one who decided to abort the mission. What kind of agent would I be if I let another agent get seriously hurt?"

"That's right Alfred, it's not your fault. Now just rest until we reach headquarters," Arthur soothed.

"Okay," the American mumbled as he lied back down. He then started to babble incoherently, "Hey Artie?"

"Yes?"

"Your eyes...they're really pretty. Kinda like emeralds 'cept...sparkly-er."

The Brit started to sputter as his cheeks grew red. However, before Arthur could respond, Alfred was out like a light.

Realizing the American was asleep, Arthur just murmured endearingly, "Alfred...you bloody fool."

Feliks watch the exchange, his face once again expressionless. However, inside, the Pole was a mass of conflicting emotions.

_I know it was Braginski who attacked him, but I can't help but feel like it was my fault. If only I had been more competent, maybe this wouldn't have happened. Ugh! Why do I feel like this?! This never happened when I worked solo._

Feliks took another look towards Alfred and Arthur, and then Francis and Ludwig.

_Maybe...could it be...is this what it feels like to have companions?_

* * *

"I'm sorry that those pests escaped, brother. You must be very disappointed in your dear sister," Natalia said sadly.

"Do not worry about it, little sister. It does not matter now," Ivan reassured. "First, we must deal with Yao, concerning this newly declared war on our organization by the Triad. And then we have to take care of agent Lukasiewicz. No doubt, he is trying to capture me once again, da?"

"Oh, you don't have to worry about that foolish agent. I will gladly test out my new knife set on whoever tries to take my beloved brother from me," Natalia promised, her eyes glinting with malice.

"That reminds me. During these times, one must keep his subordinates very close. So, **(6) **syestra, I would like you to do me a favor," Ivan said.

"Of course, anything for you Ivan," Natalia said eagerly, grateful for the opportunity to prove her loyalty to her dear brother.

"I think it's about time you paid Toris a visit."

* * *

Feliks had his eyes covered with his right forearm as he laid on his bed in another attempt to sleep. This was impossible, however, for the Pole was still going through inner turmoil over the day's events.

_First of all, I failed the mission. There _must_ have been something I could have done differently! I've never failed as badly as tonight. I'm a horrible agent. And Alfred even got hurt, because I wasn't able to handle Braginski and Wang by myself._

Felik groaned and changed positions, so that now he was lying on his side. But this is nothing to relieve his stress.

_And that...kiss. Why in the world did I kiss Toris on the cheek? At the moment it just...felt like the right thing to do. But WHY? Why did it feel so _right?

Despairingly, Feliks rolled onto his back to face the ceiling. He might as well just forget about sleeping.

_You better pull yourself together Feliks. Otherwise, you could be putting more lives in jeopardy._

* * *

**1. Leur amour - their love**

**2. The Triad is basically a collective term for the many organizations of the Chinese mafia around the world. However, the Triad has been relatively inactive for recent years, due to stricter laws.**

**3. ni hao - hello in Mandarin**

**4. zai jian - goodbye in Mandarin**

**5. I've seen this nickname used before by other authors. I think it's really cute, but I guess it's not canon. But I'm gonna use it anyways cuz...YOLO (does anyone else get annoyed when teenagers use that as an excuse to act really stupid? No? Just me? Okey.)**

**6. Syestra - sister in Russian**

**And there you have it! Chapter 14 is done! It's longer compared to the other chapters. I'm hoping I can keep it this long for future chapters. Which reminds me, I'm officially a new updating system! After Christmas, I am going to reveal a new renovated profile, which is going to include update dates and will also hint towards future works. So if you guys prefer longer chapters instead of faster updates, just let me know. I've been thinking about increasing the updating interval from a week to 1.5 to 2 weeks. We'll see how it goes.**

**Also, who else is super excited for Les Miserables?! I'm dying to see it! "One Day More" had me practically squealing in front of my computer ****^.^'' Totally going to be at the movie theater on Christmas Day :D****  
**

**Anyways, I guess that's that. Congratulations to all of you for surviving the apocalypse as well ;D One day, when I'm sitting in a rocking chair, talking to my grandchildren, I'll tell them about the time the Power Rangers saved the world in 2012. XD Now we can celebrate Christmas! (Or Kwanzaa, or Hannukah (though I think that it's already ended) or whatever holiday you celebrate. All in all, Happy Holidays! Cya!**


	15. Chapter 15

**Greetings, readers! Happy New Year! Boy, am I tired. I stayed up till about 1 AM tuesday morning, waiting for the ball to drop. And as a result, stayed in bed 'til well into the afternoon ^.^'' I ended up missing breakfast and lunch, and woke up _really_ hungry.**

**Anyways, I want to thank Moi, SmileyFacesSmile, FinDeiRoma, Painting Politics and Poland, and coin1996 for their reviews on the last chapter. :) As always, your input is greatly appreciated! **

**Also, I wanna give a shout-out to Sela-tan, who actually wrote an awesome one-shot that was inspired by this fic. It's titled "Future Sight" and you guys should totally check it out :D**

* * *

The room was silent, except for the rhythmic _beeps! _of the bedside monitor. Feliks shifted uncomfortably in his chair, and took a glance toward his right to see how Arthur was faring. The Brit seemed to be in deep thought for his impressive eyebrows were furrowed and his eyes were unfocused, as if he was staring at nothing.

After Alfred had passed out again, the agents had reached headquarters, and the American had been transferred into the organization's private hospital. It was now early Monday morning, a few hours before school started, and a certain Pole and Brit found themselves sitting quietly in Alfred's hospital bedroom.

_I've only been here since this morning. God knows how long Arthur has been waiting here, _Feliks thought as he continued to observe Arthur. _From his tired appearance, I guess he's been waiting all night for Alfred to wake up._

Suddenly, the rustlings of hospital bed sheets cut into the silence, and both Feliks and Arthur looked up to see Alfred stirring in his bed. Quickly, both agents made their way to the American's bedside.

"Urg..." Alfred groaned as he came to. Slowly, he opened his eyes and winced slightly, not yet used to the bright hospital lights. The next thing to come out of his mouth was, "Man... what I wouldn't do for a burger right now..."

Feliks rolled his eyes before exchanging a brief look with Arthur that said, _Typical Alfred._

"Well, seeing as how your appetite is insatiable as always, I would say that you're doing better than we thought," Arthur teased, however, his voice held no malice.

"Hey, give me a break. I must have been out for what? A few hours?" Alfred's voice was slightly rough and scratchy.

"Actually Alfred," Feliks said as he spoke up, "you've been unconscious for the whole night. It's Monday morning right now."

"Woah, really?! I can't believe I've been asleep for that long..." Alfred stated incredulously.

"Well, you did suffer quite a concussion. The doctor said you'll probably have to rest and be monitored for a few weeks," Arthur informed.

"So I'm gonna have to stay in the hospital until I get better? Man, that is so uncool," Alfred pouted.

"Don't worry, I'm sure you'll find many ways to entertain yourself."

Alfred gave a big grin and said cheerfully, " 'course I will Artie! Especially since I'll have you here with me!"

The Brit coughed uncomfortably and said, while avoiding eye contact, "Actually...I've been ordered by the director to go after Yao Wang. And as a result...Alfred, I'm afraid this is goodbye. B-but only temporarily of course! I'm sure we'll be crossing paths again, y-you git."

The happy expression Alfred had been sporting just a second ago quickly fell as he processed this new information. "O-oh," he mumbled dejectedly. "Well...I'll miss ya Arthur."

Feliks watched the exchange, and felt like he was intruding. So, he excused himself. "I'll go get that burger for you then, Alfred."

And without waiting for a reply, the Pole quickly exited the room in order to give Arthur and Alfred privacy as they said their goodbyes. As he walked towards the building's cafeteria, he started to think about the situation at hand.

_Now that Alfred has to stay in bed for a few weeks, I guess the director will be assigning another agent to be his replacement. _This realization almost made Feliks stop dead in his tracks.

_Please let it be someone competent._

* * *

After visiting Alfred in the hospital, Feliks still had a whole day of school ahead of him. The Pole was exhausted, both emotionally and physically, from the previous day's activities. He still hadn't gotten over the fact that he had _kissed _Toris, and could only hope that the Lithuanian wouldn't bring it up.

_But with my luck, he probably will,_ he thought. But the Pole found himself not as adverse to the idea as he should have been. This only served to add to the mass of conflicting emotions that he was feeling already.

Currently, Feliks was sitting at his desk in homeroom, waiting for the school day to start. Oddly enough, Toris was not there yet, and Feliks was a little worried.

_He's usually here really early. Why isn't he here yet?_

A few minutes before the late bell rang, a certain Lithuanian came hurrying into the room, looking quite flustered. Once the brunette settled himself down in his seat, he greeted Feliks with a relieved smile.

"Hi Felicia, sorry I'm kind of late. I, uh, had some stuff to do before school."

"Hey Toris, I'm glad you're finally here. It was getting pretty boring," Feliks replied truthfully.

Toris then started to stare at Feliks with an expression the Pole just couldn't place. Finally, he asked, "Um...Toris? Why are you looking at me like that?"

The brunette suddenly started to blush when he was caught staring. He then stammered, "O-oh, um, sorry! It's just...it's kind of weird to hear you talk, uh, normal I guess..."

Feliks couldn't help but give a chuckle at this. "Is that it? Don't worry, it's okay. To be honest, it's kind of a relief to not be saying 'like' every other word."

_More of a relief than you think._

Toris relaxed when he saw that Feliks wasn't angry. "Oh, okay then. Oh! Are you ready for our presentation today?"

"You bet," Feliks reassured.

Just then, the bell rang, and the two started their journey to World History.

* * *

World History started off as it always did, with the teacher welcoming back the less-than-willing students from the weekend and going over the lesson plan for the week.

_What a boring day_, Feliks thought solemnly. He couldn't think of anything particularly exciting that would happen that day. Except for the presentation they had in English of course. In which he would have to say those dreaded last words...

About ten minutes into the period, the students looked up from their work when they heard their teacher say, "There you are, I assume you're the new student, correct? You're a bit late, but since it's your first day, I guess we can let that slide. Would you like to introduce yourself?"

When Feliks paused his reading about the Warsaw Pact **(1)** to look up, his blood ran cold. There, at the front of the classroom, stood an all-too-familiar girl with doll-like beauty but a cold glare that could freeze fire.

"Hello, my name is Natalia Arlovskaya **(2)**. I am a transfer student from Russia. I am not interested in playing _games_ or anything of the sort. That is all," Natalia said in a serious tone.

"Well, that was an...interesting introduction. Why don't you sit down Ms. Arlovskaya?"

After nodding once, Natalia took a seat near the front of the room.

Once Natalia sat down, Feliks took the chance to actually _breathe._

_W-what the hell is _she_ doing here!? This is not good, not good at all! _

Feliks looked at Toris to see his reaction. His heart fell when he saw that the Lithuanian was staring at Natalia with that _look_, the same one Feliks had seen at the abandoned warehouse on that mission. Suddenly, the Pole felt sick to his stomach, and could barely think straight while he continued to read his history textbook.

_What is this feeling, and why do I hate it so much?_

* * *

A few periods passed before Feliks and Toris had ELA. Luckily, Natalia didn't have all of the same classes as the two, but this did nothing to soothe the worry or that horrible feeling in Feliks's stomach.

"Okay class, the long awaited project presentations are finally here." The ELA teacher announced. This was met by groans from the students, who didn't seem keen to the idea of performing in front of their classmates. As for Feliks, well, it seemed like he was the only one who noticed the absence of "Mr. Kirkland."

_But I guess that's for the best._

"First, we'll start with the groups at the front of the room and work our way back. So, Yong Soo and Mei, that means you're up first!"

As the rest of the groups performed their pieces, Feliks waited in nervous anticipation. He wanted to get this whole thing over with, yet he wished time would go slower. He just...didn't feel ready.

But eventually, the teacher called Feliks and Toris up to present their project. As they got up from their seats and made their way to the front of the class, Toris whispered, "Good luck."

"You too."

**~~~~~~~~~~~Line break~~~~~~~~~~~**

"Now if you would, please...please promise me," Feliks said hesitantly.

"What?" Toris asked softly.

So far, the duo was almost finished with their presentation. Only a few more lines, and they would finally be done. Currently, the whole class was silent and seemed fully entranced by their performance.

"Promise me first."

"I promise."

"Promise to...to kiss me on the forehead once I die. I know I will feel it," Feliks whispered. He then closed his eyes and let his head fall back unto Toris's lap. The Pole was so still, so peaceful that it seemed he had already departed from the world. However, his eyes suddenly opened and they stared directly into Toris's. The Lithuanian dared not say a word. It looked as if he was entranced by Feliks's "acting" as well.

"And do you know, Monsieur Marius..." Feliks started in a dazed voice.

_Come on, you can do this!_

Suddenly, thoughts of Toris filled the Pole's mind. He couldn't help but think of how much longing Toris would look at Natalia with. The horribly, _ugly_ feelings in his gut intensified and he wasn't faking the pure pain in his voice as he said,

"I-I do believe I was a little...in love with you."

And so, Eponine died.

"Marius" gave one last kiss to Feliks's head, and then the class erupted in loud applause. Apparently, their performance had been the most impressive out of them all. But it mattered not to Feliks, who still had a nauseating feeling in his stomach.

Immediately after, the bell rang and the students halted their applause in order to gather their things and get ready for next period. Toris and Feliks spent a few more seconds in their stupor before they finally broke apart, with blushes consuming their cheeks, and got ready for their next class as well.

As they walked through the halls, Feliks couldn't shake that unpleasant feeling. Finally, he said, "Hey Toris? I...I think I need to go to the restroom. Don't worry, I wont be late for class. I'll see you soon, okay?"

Feliks left before he received Toris's answer and left the Lithuanian standing in the middle of the hallway, wearing a confused and worried expression.

* * *

As he felt the cool water on his face, Feliks felt the tiniest bit calmer. Slowly, he slumped down to sit on the floor, not caring if he was ruining the skirt he was wearing. Right now, he just felt so...tired.

_Damn it all...damn it! What's wrong with me?! Why do I feel so weak and exhausted?! _

His stomach still hurt, and it hurt even more when he thought of Toris. The shy Lithuanian's soft smile was an image that kept resonating, over and over in Feliks's mind. It was a thought that made his heart flutter, painfully so.

_I guess I can't keep lying to myself any longer. But even just admitting it means I'm doomed. _

Suddenly, Feliks had to laugh a bit at the uncanny coincidence.

_Somehow, I really have become Eponine. And it hurts to know what that entails. _

The impossible had happened. Something so forbidden and unheard of had become a reality.

He had fallen in love with the enemy.

Worse yet, the enemy had feelings for someone else.

* * *

Feliks stumbled into his apartment, thankful that the day was finally over. After his emotional mini-breakdown in the bathroom, Feliks had to concentrate on ignoring that awkward feeling he got as he sat next to Toris. It was quite difficult to pretend that everything was perfect and dandy when it wasn't.

He let out a groan as he settled on the couch. When had everything become so complicated? Oh how Feliks longed for the time when everything was just simple, which had only been a few weeks ago. It was just him, the best spy in the business, against the bad guys. But somehow, what had once been black and white melded together to create a confusing gray. For once in his life, his next step wasn't as clear as crystal, and self-confidence had turned into self-doubt.

_I am so screwed._

"You know, you didn't have any beer so I had to go out and buy some."

Feliks gave a loud yelp of surprise and quickly opened his eyes. In front of him was a tall stranger who had striking, almost-white, platinum blonde hair. This stranger also had piercing red eyes and a big smirk on his face.

In a flash, Feliks had the intruder on the ground in a choke hold. Angrily, he asked, "Who the hell are you?! If you don't answer right now, I can make sure you won't be having any kids in the future."

The intruder wheezed and gasped out laboriously, "W-wait dude, I'm an agent! G-Gilbert Beilschmidt!"

_Beilschmidt? That sounds like..._

"Who are you in relation to Ludwig Beilschmidt?" Feliks demanded.

"I'm his bruder!" **(3)**

Slowly, Feliks let go of Gilbert. However, the Pole was still suspicious and said, "Show me your I.D."

Quickly, Gilbert showed him his I.D. Satisfied, Feliks nodded and returned to his position on the couch.

"So, _Gilbert, _why are you in my apartment?" The blond was still irritated by this unexpected guest.

"Kesesese! You're Feliks right? The awesome me has come to help you on your mission!" Gilbert announced smugly.

"Oh, so you're Alfred's replacement?"

"Nah, don't say replacement! That sounds so un-awesome!"

"Fine then...how about substitute? Either way, I don't care."

_I've only met this guy for five minutes and I'm already annoyed._

"What do you mean you don't care?!" Gilbert exclaimed indignantly. "You should be basking in the glory that is me!"

_And he's too loud._

"Look, I really don't have enough time for this. If you have nothing else important to tell me, then you can just go. I assume you're going to be staying in Alfred's apartment? Have fun."

Feliks had already gotten up and started to retire to his bedroom. The only thing he wanted to do at that moment was fall into an fitful sleep as he dealt with his emotions.

_God, I sound like such a girl_, Feliks realized with a frown. Nevertheless, he just wasn't in the mood to deal with this obnoxious German's crap.

"Ha! I can see that my awesomeness is too much for even you!"

"Sure. You can go away now."

_Why challenge his "awesomeness" when it'll just give me another migraine?_

Gilbert "hmmph"ed with hurt pride. Apparently, he had been hoping to get the Pole at least a _little _riled up.

"Fine. I guess I'll just go now. I'll be seeing you tomorrow at school then, Feliks. Gute nacht! **(4) **And with that, Gilbert was gone.

_Finally, the idiot left. _

When he entered his bedroom, Feliks crashed unto his bed. The feeling of bed sheets was oddly comforting, and the Pole took the moment to stretch his joints and let out a sigh of relief.

_I mind as well relax right now, and worry about tomorrow when tomorrow comes. _

* * *

**And that, ladies and gentleman, was chapter 15. Sorry about it being shorter than the last chapter, but hopefully, once I finish planning this new updating system, all the new chapters will be at least as long as chapter 14. **

**And now for the notes:**

**1. The Warsaw Pact was signed on May 14th, 1955 and was a mutual defense treaty between 8 communist countries in Central and Eastern Europe during the Cold War. The member states of this treaty included: ****Bulgaria, ****Czechoslovakia, ****East Germany, ****Hungary, ****Poland, ****Romania, ****Soviet Union, and ****Albania. Members states of the Warsaw Pact and member states of NATO fought against each other in the Cold War. It can be noted that Bulgaria, Albania, the Czech Republic, Germany, Poland, Hungary, and Romania are now member states of NATO.**

**2. I used "Arlovskaya" since Natalia is supposed to be hiding her true identity. Besides, it was a good opportunity to use the human last name Himaruya gave her. Although, in this fic, her real last name is Braginski. BTW, she doesn't know what Feliks looks like exactly, since she's never personally met him.**

**3. bruder = brother in German**

**4. Gute nacht = good night in German. Usually, you see it as "Guten nacht" however, when I researched this, it seems Gute nacht is the correct spelling, though I can't be totally certain. **

**Anyways, that's it. Did anyone else see Les Miserables? I saw it the day it came out! I loved it :D I can't wait until it comes out on DVD. Also, I'm kind of sad since Wednesday is my last day of vacation T.T Oh where have the days gone?!**

**I guess that's it. I'll see you guys next time! Hopefully, the new profile will be up by tomorrow. Please review and cya!**


	16. Chapter 16

**And this week's delay brought to you by: a surprise French project! French: love the language, but dislike the class :P Seriously, at first our teacher made it due Tuesday, and had given us a vague description of how the project should be. Then on Tuesday, she gave us a completely different rubric and made it due Wednesday. Now it's due Thursday, and it'll probably be pushed back to Friday. This greatly irritates me, even thought normally, I'd be happy to have a project due date pushed back. But it was actually like I had done 2 separate projects, because each night I had to do a different thing. **_  
_

**Anyways, enough with my ranting. Thank you to jojoandpicnic97, Herr Benzedrine, chibichocolate1313, coin1996, Volcarona, FireBreathingNinja, Glermon, Moi, SmileyFacesSmile, MagicMusic7, FinDeiRoma for the reviews! Thanks to you, and everyone else who has reviewed this story so far, TRPC now has over a hundred reviews! :D Yay!**

**BTW: probably has a lot of mistakes. But I'm too tired to proofread. I'll probably give this a more thorough edit tomorrow.**

* * *

_Damn it, I'm going to be late, and it's all that obnoxious Beilschmidt's fault!_

Feliks was almost running to homeroom, which was an achievement in itself, considering the fact he hadn't broken his neck yet from falling in the heels he was wearing. All the while, he was cursing his new "awesome" neighbor under his breath. Already, after knowing Gilbert for less than a day, the self-proclaimed Prussian was making the Pole's life harder than it already was.

That morning, Feliks had decided to check in and make sure that Gilbert had been briefed on his new school, only to find out that the he had not even woken up yet. This lead to the Pole having to forcefully drag Gilbert out of bed, with only 20 minutes before he had to be at school. It was a miracle that Feliks had gotten Gilbert ready for school in under five minutes. Now, after dropping off Gilbert at his homeroom, Feliks was making haste in order to arrive to his homeroom on time.

Finally, after one more frantic minute, the Pole arrived at the door of room 035 and could now give a sigh of relief before entering. However, he almost froze in place when he spotted a certain platinum-haired girl with a scowl on her face.

_Right. _She_ goes here now. _

As calmly as possible, Feliks made his procession to the back of the classroom and took his seat. He made it a point to avoid eye contact with the person sitting next to him, for fear of doing something stupid.

_Okay. You can do this. There's no way he can tell anything's wrong._

"Hi Toris," Feliks greeted with a timid cheerfulness, finally allowing himself to acknowledge the Lithuanian.

"Hi Felicia. You're later than usual today," Toris teased lightly.

"Oh...well..." Feliks started while he racked his brain for a good excuse. He decided to go with the truth-well, as close to the truth as he could get. "A new neighbor just moved into the building, and I just wanted to make sure he was okay and all."

_More like make sure that idiot wasn't late to school._

"That must be kind of exciting. Will I ever get to meet him?" Toris asked, totally oblivious to how awkward Feliks was feeling.

"Uh, you might," was all the Pole could say in reply.

_Sooner than you think, actually_, he added in his mind.

"Okay, then. I look forward to it," Toris said, smiling.

_You'll live to regret those words._

"Anyways, are you okay? Yesterday, you said you had to use the bathroom, and you almost never use the school bathrooms. I know it's been a day, but I just wanted to make sure - are you feeling better?" Toris half-rambled, his face tensed with worry, as if expecting the worse.

At this, Feliks's heart sped up to a quick pace. For a moment, he worried that Toris was able to see through his facade. But the Lithunian's blue eyes betrayed no suspicion or accusation. Also, the fact that Toris had just shown that he was worried about Feliks's well-being did nothing to quiet the Pole's loud heartbeat.

"Um, I'm fine! Totally fine! I was just...tired yesterday. But now I feel better than ever!" he assured in the most optimistic voice he could muster.

Toris relaxed considerably at hearing this and said, "Oh, that's good. I'm really glad you're okay."

Just after Toris finished his sentence, the bell rang. It was time for World History.

* * *

"Okay class, oddly enough, it seems that we have _another_ new student today," their World History teacher drawled on casually. As if on cue, a figure then rushed into the classroom all the while laughing like a maniac.

_Oh no..._

Standing at the font of the class was the one and only Gilbert, who looked very delighted, now that he held the class's attention.

"Kesese! Hallo **(1) **losers! Be thankful that you now get to share the same air as the awesome me!" he said, as his eye twinkled with mischief.

"Now then, Mr..." the teacher paused to look at his class list. "Mr...McAwesomepants?-"

There was a small titter throughout the class.

"-care to introduce yourself?"

"Ja! **(2)** I am the amazing Gilbert McAwesomepants and don't you forget it! I am one-hundred-percent Prussian, from the greatest country in the world, Kesese! I look forward to conquering your classes this year!"

Gilbert then bowed deeply and promptly went to an empty chair near the back of the room and sat down. The class was still giggling at his comedic introduction, while deep down, Feliks was silently weeping. The only other person who didn't show any signs of amusement was Natalya, who still sat stone-faced and slightly annoyed.

_Mr. McAwesomepants?! REALLY?! _

"Well, another, erm, _interesting _introduction. I'd also like to take the chance to inform you, Gilbert, that Prussia is no longer a country, **(3)**" the teacher said pointedly.

"Of course it is!" Gilbert protested. He then turned toward the back of the class and looked Feliks right in the eye. "Felicia agrees with me, don't you Felicia?"

Feliks stared right back at the "Prussian" and thought darkly, _Oh you are **so** going to get it._ However, the Pole couldn't let Gilbert make an ass of himself _already_, so he decided to do some damage-control.

"Uh, well... Gilbert has grandparents who are from Prussia, when it was still a country. So... I guess you could say that Gilbert's a Prussian too... maybe in spirit," Feliks supplied reluctantly.

"You two know each other already?" the teacher asked. He was obviously trying to change the subject, probably not looking forward to continue the argument with Gilbert.

"Sure we do!" Gilbert announced proudly. "In fact, we're even neighbors!"

"That's right," Feliks said quickly, wanting the conversation to be over and done with. For good measure, he asked, "I have a question too- about the Warsaw Pact- what would you say were the causes for it?"

The teacher quickly latched onto the question Feliks presented and launched into a long and in-depth discussion about the causes and reasons for the Warsaw Pact. Soon enough, the class was once again a crowd of sleepy teenagers who couldn't care less about what they were learning. But they all had to awaken from their tired stupors once the bell rang.

As Feliks and Toris gathered their things and walked to ELA, Toris asked, "So I'm guessing that he's the new neighbor?"

"Yeah...pretty much," Feliks answered with a small grimace.

"Well, now I can guess why you were late this morning," Toris said with a tone of humor. Both the brunette and blond started to chuckle together at Gilbert's expense.

Feliks liked this. He liked it when he could laugh along with Toris. It made him feel...happy.

* * *

"I must say, I was rather impressed by yesterday's performance," the ELA teacher praised. "Luckily, I was able to grade all of your projects, and I will be handing them out now. Hopefully, your efforts will be reflected in the grade you were given.

As their teacher started to walk down the classroom isle while handing out their grades, Feliks was barely paying attention to his surroundings. This was so unlike him, but the mention of his project reminded him of his predicatment, and he couldn't stop himself rom brooding his situation, not to mention how in the world he would deal with Gilbert...

"Very nice Felicia and Toris. Keep it up."

The comment brought Feliks back from his reverie. After blinking once, he noticed a piece of paper being held in front of him, which he took with a small "Thank you." He then examined the document with attentive eyes.

At the very top of the page, a distinct red _A+_ was written neatly and below, the teacher had made some comments in a small scrawl. '_Your performance was very captivating, and the theme of your project was clear. You two make a great team!'_ it read. Feliks could almost roll his eyes at how cheery his teacher sounded, but he was pleased with the praise all the same.

"Isn't this great?" Toris asked after he looked up from his paper.

"It sure is," Feliks agreed.

Toris suddenly seemed shy and hesitant as he said, "To be honest...I think you're a really good actress Felicia."

Feliks felt strangely happy at receiving such a compliment from Toris. But in his mind, he was kicking himself for feeling this way.

_Keep it together, Feliks._

"Thanks. You're not a bad actor yourself, Toris," Feliks said with a smile. That same smile he used to deceive others whenever he was on a mission. But right now, he just deceiving himself, telling himself that everything was okay. He had never felt this way before, as cliche as that sounded, but it was the truth. He needed some major help, and soon.

* * *

During lunch, Feliks and Toris sat at the same table they always sat at. And that was the way Feliks liked it. No stupid Natalia - in fact, she sat across the room at a different table, and was surrounded by a couple of idiot boys, including the very same jocks who had threatened Feliks on the first day of school. Natalia had only been at the school for one day and already, she had many admirers who were infatuated with her beauty. Feliks could only find the scene both pathetic and amusing, for he knew that no one could ever deter Natalia from her love for her brother.

Yep, right now it was just Feliks, Toris, and their lu-

"Hey guys! Have you been miserable without the awesome me?!"

_No, please, no._

Gilbert was fast approaching their lunch table with a food tray in hand. He had on a confident grin and once he reached the table, he plopped down on a seat next to Feliks before the Pole or Toris could say anything.

_Why is he over here?! Alfred didn't even socialize with us during school. Is Gilbert _trying _to make himself a liability?!_

"So, what were you two talking about? I bet you were talking about how cool I am, weren't you?"

Both Feliks and Toris just stared at Gilbert, as if momentarily paralyzed by the sheer arrogance of the person who now sat before them. Finally, Feliks heaved an unimpressed sigh and answered, "Hello Gilbert. Actually, we were talking about ELA. We just had it last period."

"Bor-ing!" Gilbert declared. He then continued, "Anyways, are you going to introduce me to your friend, Felicia?"

At the mention of "friend," Toris immediately stiffened. He was, after all, shy with strangers, and Gilbert in particular probably wasn't making it easy for the Lithuanian.

"Sure..." Feliks acquiesced."Gilbert, this is Toris. He's pretty much my best friend, right Toris?"

Feliks gestured toward Toris and smiled at him. The brunette returned this smile and agreed, "Yep, that's right. N-nice to meet you Gilbert."

"Of course it is," Gilbert said cockily. "And I guess it's nice to meet you too Toris. Even if you are a bit quiet, kesese!"

Toris blushed embarrassedly and laughed along weakly with Gibert. Meanwhile, Feliks, noticing Toris's discomfort, was silently cursing Gilbert's tactlessness. Attempting to defuse the situation, he said, "How are you liking the school so far, Gilbert?"

Gilbert seemed pleased to have the topic of the conversation turned to him. He said, matter of factly, "It's been very boring so far. All we do is just learn stuff!"

"Well...that _is _the point of going to school," Feliks pointed out.

"Yeah, but we should at least be learning stuff that's more awesome! Like the history of Prussia, now _that _would be a class I wouldn't fall asleep in."

"We might start learning about Prussia in World History," Toris offered. "Now that we've finished the chapter on the Cold War, we'll probably start the chapters on World War I and II very soon."

"But didn't the Cold War happen _after_ World War I and II?" Gilbert asked, puzzled.

_At least he knows his basic history._

"For some reason, we're learning our historical events in a random order," Feliks explained. "But as long as we have everything learned by the end of the year, it should be okay."

"Fine I get it. But I'll still be bored to death! Nobody here is awesome enough to hang out with me! Oh hey, speaking of which...how did you two become friends?"

_Where does he get off asking such a stupid question? Surely he knows the circumstances of my acquaintance with Toris. _

"Well, it was the first day of school," Feliks said, starting to reminisce about the events that had only occurred a few weeks before. He vividly remembered how he would openly flirt with Toris, back when he only cared about completing his mission. Oh, how he longed for that simplicity right now, but alas, he could barely tell a convincing lie to the Lithuanian, never mind _flirt _with him. "I was a transfer student, just like you Gilbert, and I decided to sit in the back, next to Toris. I was really looking forward to making a friend, so I started talking to Toris and...well...the rest is history."

_ I was actually trying to find out more information about Ivan but...Toris doesn't need to know that, of course._

Toris nodded in agreement with a small smile. He then added, "And ever since, every day has been a lot more fun with Felicia."

Feliks couldn't stop the light blush that crept onto his cheeks. Why did Toris have to be so sweet sometimes?!

Gilbert looked back and forth between Toris and Feliks, slightly raising his eyebrow when he saw the Pole's reaction. Eventually he just shrugged it off and started to eat his lunch before the bell rang.

* * *

Finally, it was last period, a fact that Feliks took great joy in. It meant that after running a few laps, he'd finally be able to go home and enjoy peace as he planned for the next day ahead. That was, of course, only if Gilbert wouldn't come to his apartment and pester him about one thing or another, which was a very likely possibility.

Currently, the track team was sitting on the bleachers, waiting for Mr. Beilschmidt to arrive. Some students were picking their nails while others were conversing with their neighbors. As for Toris and Feliks, they had to listen to Gilbert complain about how waiting for their coach was so "unawesome."

Suddenly, the gym doors opened, to reveal Coach Beilschmidt who entered with quick, purposeful steps, a strict expression on his face as always. At the arrival of the German, Gilbert perked his head up and started to grin mischievously.

Feliks observed this and thought, _That's right, those two are brothers. Good thing they don't look alike. Still, Ludwig will probably have his hands full with Gilbert's antics today._

"Today, we will be training very intensively. We have an important track meet coming up, and these next few days will be used to see what events you should be placed in," Mr. Beilschmidt announced.

"Also, I've been made aware that we have a new student today. Gilbert...McAwesomepants-"

When Ludwig said this, Feliks could just see that the German was itching to face-palm.

" -introduce yourself!"

Gilbert was laid-back and relaxed as he sat on the bleachers. Sarcastically, he said, "Schon, dich zu sehen, kleinen bruder. **(3)** Anyways, my name is Gilbert McAwesomepants, obviously because I'm so awesome! This year, I'll definitely lead this team to victory, kesese!"

Ludwig looked pretty annoyed at his brother's impudence, especially when Gilbert had greeted him. What was he thinking, speaking in German?!

"That is fine. Now, begin your training!"

At this, all of the track team members, who were once sitting idly on the bleachers, stood up and started to run their warm-up laps. As always, Toris and Feliks ran at the same pace together. Gilbert also ran with the duo, but he trailed behind by a few feet, choosing instead to observe the two's interactions.

"So, what event do you think you'd like to do in the track meet?" Toris asked.

"Well, I think I'd be pretty good at running the hundred meter dash," Feliks answered. "What about you?"

"I guess I'd like to try the hundred meter hurdles. But I've never really been that good with-Woah!"

Toris's right foot had gotten caught on something invisible, and he went falling forward...crashing right into Feliks.

When the Pole could feel a weight pushing him forward, onto the floor, all he could do was brace himself for impact, and think, _This is going to hurt._

Next thing he knew, Feliks was lying on his back on the floor (How the heck did he end up on his back anyways? Had Toris turned him around?), registering the shock of pain that vibrated throughout his body. However, it was not as painful as Feliks had thought it would be. No, the real problem was that Toris had fallen too, and now he was _right on top of Feliks._

For a few moments, the Pole stared directly in front of him, into the wide eyes of Toris. Feliks could feel his heart hammering, and he only returned the Lithuanian's look of surprise. Then, as if they had been struck by lightning, they quickly came to their senses and recovered from their awkward position. They were now standing up straight and brushing themselves off, with their faces enveloped by an intense blush.

_Oh. My. God._

Toris then started to apologize profusely to Feliks, who only nodded absentmindedly, too focused on not becoming flustered. They both looked to around to see if anyone had seen them fall. Once they confirmed that they were in the clear, they continued running their warm up laps.

However, they were not in the clear, for a certain "Prussian" had seen it all. And after registering the event that had just taken place, it was like a light bulb of realization went off over Gilbert's head. After a few moments, he too resumed his running, while he sported a small and knowing smile.

* * *

"I don't know how you put up with all of this "going to school" junk. I thought being able to skip the whole "education system" thing was a perk to being an agent."

"Why are you still following me, Gilbert?"

School had since ended, and now Feliks was just about to enter his apartment. Problem was, Gilbert was still trailing the Pole, carrying a conversation all by himself.

"Because I'm bored, and I'm too awesome to be bored!"

"Well, then just play a game or something," Feliks said irritatedly.

_Just leave already._

"Nah, I'd much rather keep you company. My presence is bound to do you some good. Maybe some of my greatness will rub off on you!"

By now, both Feliks and Gilbert had entered the Pole's apartment. Feliks was doing his best to block out Gilbert's arrogant voice. He simply had too much to think about right now, and he couldn't even think with "Mr. McAwesomepants" distracting him.

"Look Gilbert, I have work to do right now, so, to put it bluntly, go home," Feliks said as he turned his back to the taller agent and started to walk toward his bedroom.

"Okay, okay then. Just one final question!"

"Ask away," said Feliks absently, still walking towards the other room.

"Do you like Toris?"

Feliks Froze.

_What?_

"Excuse me? Wh-what do you mean-"

"You heard what I said: do you like Toris?"

"...I...I don't have to answer that. "

"Come on Feliks, I've seen the way you guys interact. After all these years of knowing about the "best agent in the organization," no one has ever once seen you _blush_ the way you did with Toris."

"..." Feliks's hand remained inches away from turning the doorknob.

"Look, I don't care if you like him or not. But it's bad if you can't even admit your feelings to yourself," Gilbert's voice had now taken on a surprisingly serious tone.

"What do you know, anyways?" This question even surprised Feliks.

"What?"

"How can you be so sure that I'm lying to myself?"

"So you admit it?"

Feliks let out a deep sigh. _What am I doing?_

"It doesn't matter whether I admit it or not. What matters is that Toris is the enemy, and I'm here on one mission, and one mission only: to catch Braginski. So I can't afford to be sidetracked by personal problems," Feliks said sternly.

"But it's eating you up inside, isn't it?"

_When the hell did he get so observant? _Yes, Gilbert's sudden bout of impressive intuition was shocking to say the least. Who knew such an obnoxious braggart could read into someone's emotions so easily?

"Like I said, it doesn't matter."

"You know, even an agent deserves to have feelings," Gilbert advised.

"..."

"I can help you, you know."

Feliks looked at Gilbert incredulously. "You? Help me?"

Gilbert smirked, regaining some of that overbearing confidence that Feliks was used to. "Sure, I'm pretty good at all that romance stuff. Just call me Gilbert the matchmaker!"

_Somehow I really doubt_ that.

Noticing Feliks's hesitation, Gilbert added, "I know for a fact it's better to have at least one person to help you. Feliks, you might not be used to it, but you can rely on others sometimes, you know that right?"

Was Gilbert really the help Feliks needed? The person who could help him with the inner turmoil he had been experiencing lately? The chances were slim and unlikely, Feliks told himself, and yet..what was the harm? What damage could trusting Gilbert to help him do?

_I'm probably making the biggest mistake of my life._

"Fine," Feliks whispered softly.

"I'm sorry, what was that?"

"Fine," Feliks grudgingly repeated, louder this time.

"So you want me to help you?"

"Look, do you want me to spell it out for you? Don't make me regret trusting you, Gilbert."

"Oh I wouldn't dream of it," Gilbert said as he smiled cockily. "Okay then! Operation get-Toris-and-Feliks-together-so-they-can-have-their-happily-ever-after is a GO!"

Feliks rolled his eyes. "Do we really have to call it that?"

"Hey, you needed my help!" Gilbert responded, showing that signature smugness.

_I think I'm going to have a headache._ Feliks had no idea what he was doing. All he knew was that he was trusting the world's most obnoxious man to help him with his _feelings _of all things. Maybe Feliks _was _making a huge mistake.

But when the Pole went to bed that night, as he laid on his bed, waiting for sleep to take over, his burden felt the tiniest bit lighter.

* * *

**Notes:**

**1.) Hallo is German for hello**

**2.) **** Ja is German for yes**

**3.) And this is _supposed _to mean: "Nice to see you too, little brother." However, this probably is incorrect, since I had to use google translate :P**

**Also, kinda bummed because for the first time, I had to block a guest review. I found it quite inappropriate, since the person was basically complaining about I had put USUK in this story. They called it incest and said how they couldn't stand the pairing. Honestly, while I still appreciate people reading my story, if you don't like the pairing, you can just not read the story. I don't mind, and I certainly can't blame you. But leaving a review about it was pretty unnecessary. All in all, I'm not trying to start a shipping war. Ship and let ship, I say!**

**Anyways, I guess that's it. SATs are the weekend after this one, so lately I've been studying, studying, studying! Thanks for reading and I hope to see you guys soon. Bye!**


	17. Chapter 17

**Hey guys, long time no see! A lot has happen since the last update, so I didn't have a lot of time to work on this story :P. SATs went pretty well though, but I have to wait a bit longer to see how I did.**

**Anyways, thank you to ShizukaMiyagi, SmileyFacesSmile, FinDeiRoma, coin1996, SableFable, Linkforever125, Guest, Techie Bunny, chibichocolate1313 for the kind reviews :D As always, I love reading them!**

**Plus, I think this chapter sort of marks the beginning of a new arc in the story. Now that Feliks has established his feelings, we get to see how he deals with them. I overcame some mild writer's block on how to continue this story. I have a very general idea of how I want TRPC to go, but all the details in between are pretty much just me seeing where this plot takes me. Nevertheless, here's chapter 17. **

**ooooOOOOOOOOOPagebreakOOOOOO OOOoooo**

"Breeeeeeeeep!"

_What the hell?!_

The sharp shrill of a whistle violently brought Feliks back from his blissful state of sleep. The Pole snapped upright so quickly that he almost fell out of his bed, leaving him with a strong feeling of adrenaline. Wide-eyed, and now barely awake, he whipped his head around to observe his surroundings.

"Guten Morgen!" came the annoyingly loud and cheerful greeting. **(1)**

Feliks took a few moments to blink repeatedly and let his eyes adjust to the light. Once he had oriented himself, he then noticed a certain Prussian standing at the foot of his bed. The albino had on a mischievous smile, and a shiny silver whistle was hanging from the his neck, letting Feliks know exactly who had given him the rude awakening.

"Well, it looks like sleeping beauty is finally awake," Gilbert said with a laugh. A laugh that was way too loud for Feliks's newly-awakened senses.

"What the- Gilbert, how did you get into my apartment?!"

"Simple! I used the spare key," Gilbert answered, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Feliks stared blankly at him. He was trying his hardest to control his anger which was already rising, quickly.

"Gilbert...how did you get a spare key to my apartment?" he asked through gritted teeth.

"The director gave it to me. He said to use it for emergencies! Oh yeah, there's also a spare key of my apartment that I'm supposed to give to you...now if I could only find it..." Gilbert then started to fish through his pockets as Feliks glared at him. After a few seconds of searching, Gilbert finally pulled out a brass key, which he threw towards Feliks.

Feliks expertly caught the key in his right hand and inspected it absentmindedly. "Great, just great," he muttered as he squeezed the key in his palm, imagining it to be Gilbert's head. He then took a glance at the digital clock which sat on his bedside table.

_It's only 4 AM! _Feliks thought. He shot Gilbert a dirty look as he reached for the pillow behind him.

"Man, you really aren't a morning person, are ya?" Gilbert teased, right before he received a pillow to the face. This was effective in immediately halting the Prussian's merriment.

Feliks had to suppress a snicker when he saw the bewildered expression on Gilbert's face. Still, he couldn't stop an amused smile from gracing his lips. Once Gilbert noticed that Feliks was smiling, he was slightly taken aback. Then, he looked pleased as he commented, "You know, that's the first time I've seen you genuinely smile. Except for, you know, when you're with Toris."

At this, Feliks quickly regained his small scowl. However, there was a slight tinge to his cheeks as he waved the comment off, "Whatever. Just tell me why you're here."

"Okay, okay, I'll tell you. The director called. There's some stuff we have to do this morning," Gilbert informed cheekily.

Feliks sighed. Sometimes, he wished that Mr. Antonius would call him directly. But he knew that even just one instance of contact with the head of the agency would be extremely risky.

"What kind of 'stuff'?" the Pole asked, suspicious.

"Well, he wants all of the agents associated with this mission to report to headquarters. I believe he said that we'll all be meeting in Alfred's hospital room," Gilbert recalled.

"...Alright then," Feliks grunted as he dragged himself out of bed. His feet shuffled quickly across the cold wooden floor as he walked to the bathroom to get ready.

"Make sure you don't take too long getting dolled up!" Gilbert called after him.

"Real funny," Feliks yelled back sarcastically.

_Why couldn't this business wait until after school?_

* * *

"Hey guys! It's about time you visited me," Alfred exclaimed cheerfully as he saw Feliks, Francis, Ludwig and Gilbert file into his room. The American looked much better than he had the last time Feliks saw him, but he still seemed like he had more healing to do.

"Ah, Alfred, mon ami! How have you been?" Francis cooed as he rushed over to the American, his "big brother" instincts taking over.

"Yeah, Alfred. You look like crap! Kesese," Gilbert laughed. This earned him a glare from Ludwig.

"Bruder..." Ludwig warned. Gilbert just rolled his eyes and said, "Hey, I was just telling the truth!"

"I see you are as blunt as ever, Gilbert," Francis said, addressing his friend with a grin.

"You know it, Francey-pants!"

Feliks watched the exchange with mild interest. _They must already be pretty good friends. Why do I feel like I haven't known so many other agents until now? _Shaking his head, the Pole asked, "So Alfred, are you feeling better?"

"You bet!" Alfred affirmed. The smile on his face dropped the slightest bit as he continued, "But it's been pretty lonely, y'know, without you guys here...and Artie..."

Feliks cringed a bit at the sadness that laced the American's voice. Perhaps it was because he was also experiencing trials of the heart, thanks to a certain Lithuanian, that the Pole decided to try to comfort Alfred. With an awkward smile that was supposed to be comforting, he said, "Well, erm, I'm sure he, uh, misses you too."

At this, Alfred brightened and said, "Thanks dude, that makes me feel a bit better. Anyways, I guess we're not here to talk about me. Does anyone know why we're all gathered here?"

This time, it was Ludwig who spoke up, "Ja. Since the director was too busy to meet with us personally, he gave me the task of briefing you all."

"Sweet!" Gilbert said. "Lay it on us Ludwig!"

After he gave his brother one last glare, Ludwig continued, "Now that Yao Wang has declared war on Ivan Braginski, we have even more problems than before. Not only do we have to apprehend Ivan, but we also have to deal with the damage that conflict between the Triad and the Russian mafia will cause. Because of this, the director wants us to be prepared for any missions involving interfering with their rivalry."

"Sounds facile **(2)** enough," Francis commented. "Did the director summon all of us here just to tell us to be prepared?"

"There's more to it actually. The director was very vague, but he said that our team will be gathered once again, this time to meet an 'ally.' I guess we will find out who this 'ally' is in due time."

Feliks silently cursed his boss's secrecy. Did his mentor not trust Feliks anymore?

"Oh and Feliks," Ludwig said, turning to address the Pole. "Mr. Antonius also said that you will be meeting with Arthur in the near future. I guess you two have something to discuss."

"Alright," Feliks said, nodding. _Hopefully, this meeting will tell me more about this "ally" business._

"Hey, what about me?!" Gilbert questioned indignantly. He must have been expecting something more than a future gathering. "Why does Feliks get the special orders?"

"I'll have you know," Feliks started, "that this is still _my _mission."

"But I'm so awesome! I can be much more use than just sitting around waiting for some ally to show up," Gilbert complained. Feliks just rolled his eyes at the Prussian's immaturity.

"I know how you feel bro," Alfred piped up. "It's so boring, being confined to this bed."

"For now, all we can do is hope for your fast recovery," Francis said, placating the American. "Until then, we can see what is going with this whole Triad and Russian mafia business, no?"

"And it goes without saying," Francis continued, now talking to Feliks, "that you must keep your guard up around Toris. No doubt Ivan is taking more precautions, especially since he knows we are after him."

"A little too late for the warning," Feliks said bitterly. "He already has his sister attending the school. She must be one of those 'precautions' you were talking about.

"Well I guess you have to be a lot more careful, huh?" Alfred said. He was concerned; from what he had heard, Ivan's sister was one _crazy _chick.

"Unfortunately, you're right. That woman is going to make things a lot harder for me," Feliks agreed with a frown. _In more ways than one_, he added in his head.

* * *

It was only homeroom and already, Feliks was doing his best to not close his eyes and fall asleep. Thanks to a certain Prussian, the blond had not gotten his usual daily dose of slumber, and was pretty much running on empty. This, he was good at doing, but it wasn't an experience he particularly liked. However, his senses perked up when he saw Toris rush into the classroom. The Lithuanian's cheeks were flushed and it looked like he had been running.

_He was later than usual on Monday too. It must have something to do with Braginski._

"Hey," Toris said, once he sat down and caught his breath.

"Hey Toris," Feliks said in return. Now that Toris had appeared, Feliks's mind wandered to the conversation that he had had with Gilbert the night before. The albino had promised to help him, but Feliks still wasn't sure it was right to trust Gilbert with something so...personal.

_He seemed pretty enthusiastic about it yesterday. I just hope he doesn't embarrass the both of us next time we see each other._

Even now, Feliks was trying to get his thoughts in order. He knew one thing- that the chances of having a relationship with Toris were next to nothing. Heck, even being friends with the brunette was risky, and he was originally only doing it for the sake of his mission. But Feliks wasn't going to lie to himself anymore. He _really_ cared about Toris. But he wasn't an idiot and he knew he bore the risk of losing his career.

Oh how he wished that their meeting had nothing to do with Braginski! If only things were different, if only...no. The fact was, things were _not _different, and Feliks had to make the best of what he was given. And if accepting Gilbert's help was one way to do it, the simplest answer was: why not?

**ooooooOOOOOOPagebreakOOOOOOO OOooooo**

"So, did you guys hear the news today?" Gilbert asked as he licked the last of the pudding off of his spoon.

Feliks and Toris exchanged confused looks. As far as they knew, there had been nothing particularly notable on the news lately.

_What is he getting at...?_

"Apparently, some asshole was harassing some teens at a local cafe, just because they're gay. Now the guy's facing charges for committing a hate crime. I don't know, I just thought it was interesting," Gilbert said casually.

"Just goes to show that there are some really bigoted people in the world," Feliks mumbled as he carefully observed Toris's reaction. The Pole now knew what Gilbert was trying to do.

_I guess I should give the jerk more credit._

Toris shifted uncomfortably in his seat, and his eyes would only look at empty space.

Gilbert's voice was strategically careful when he said, "Yeah...just because we're gay doesn't mean we're different from anybody else..."

And there it was. Gilbert's intentions were crystal clear: he was trying to find out whether or not Toris even liked males in that way. This was an important detail which had always bothered Feliks. What if it turned out that Toris was straight? He already had feelings for Natalia. That would mean the Poles chances would drop down to zero point zilch.

"'We're'? W-what do you mean?" Toris stuttered nervously.

"Well, that depends. Do you have anything against gay people? Are you...homophobic?" Gilbert said, knowing that he was treading on thin ice.

Feliks's heart sped up as he waited for Toris to answer. His answer would pretty much decide the future, and it made him feel anxious.

"O-of course not!" Toris said quickly. "Actually I...I-I'm...I'm bisexual."

Gilbert stopped eating his apple and raised an eyebrow. "Huh. Interesting."

Right now, the Prussian's face was totally unreadable, but Feliks knew that underneath that casual expression, Gilbert was staving a smirk.

As for the Pole himself, he froze for a few moments as he stared at Toris. The Lithuanian looked worried and he kept looking down into his hands, refusing to make eye contact.

"Wow. I think it's totally great of you to admit it," Feliks said as he smiled warmly. Sure, he seemed calm on the outside, but on the inside, so many things were rushing through his mind that if he were anybody else, he might have fainted.

Toris looked surprised, but then this quickly morphed into relief as he said, "Really? I was scared that...that you wouldn't approve, or something..."

"Of course I approve Toris. I'll never judge you, you should know that. So that means we don't need to keep secrets from each other, right?" Feliks said. _I'm such a hypocrite, asking him to be truthful when I've been anything but._

"Okay...thank you, Felicia," Toris said, returning Feliks's smile,

_I hate it when he calls me that. _That name just reminded him of his deception.

Meanwhile, Gilbert watched the two interact with a pleased expression on his face. Stage one of his awesome plan was complete, and it was about time he start stage two.

**ooooooOOOOOOPagebreakOOOOOOO OOooooo**

"I've got to say...nice work at lunch today," Feliks said as he begrudgingly gave Gilbert his "props." Right now, the two were sitting on the couch, going over some files that Ludwig sent them home with after the meeting that morning. Among these documents were full profiles of Yao Wang and Ivan Braginski, but it wasn't like Feliks needed the one on Braginski. They had already gotten well acquainted with each other on his last solo mission, the one that had put the Russian in jail.

"Why thank you. Toris was no match for my awesome interrogation skills!" Gilbert proclaimed loudly. In response, Feliks rolled his eyes. It wasn't like Toris had put up much resistance anyways.

"So...what happens now?" Feliks asked slowly and he perused the paper he was holding.

"Isn't it obvious? Now that we know he's into guys, getting you and him together will be a piece of cake!"

Feliks inwardly cringed at how Gilbert would say such things in such a brash way. But he just had to learn to deal with it, he supposed.

"Yes, I know that. But you have to think about the details. Besides, how did you find the confidence to ask him something so personal? What if he did end up being homophobic?" This had puzzled Feliks. Toris had already shown signs of being straight, so why had Gilbert been bold enough to ask him about it?

"Eh, I just trusted my gaydar. That, and one of my special skills is being able to read people."

"Your...your gay-what?"

"My gaydar! Don't you ever use yours? You know, your natural ability to tell whether or not another person is gay." **(3)**

Feliks shook his head at how ridiculous this all sounded. Whoever heard of a "gaydar?" Then again...judging from Gilbert's performance today, maybe this whole concept wasn't as ludicrous as it seemed.

"Whatever...that doesn't matter now. We have to focus on examining these profiles. I have a rendezvous with Arthur soon, and I don't just want to wait around idly for him to contact me."

"You're excited about seeing Eyebrows? He can be such a party-pooper sometimes!"

"Interesting nickname aside, Arthur just takes his work seriously. Something you should learn to do," Feliks added pointedly.

"Hey! I'm plenty serious! Just because I'm not grumpy all the time doesn't mean I'm not a good agent. You should learn to live a little too, Feliks."

"Sure..." Feliks said, preoccupied with studying some of Yao Wang's subordinates. Hmm...this Kiku Honda sounded formidable, and that made him dangerous.

"This says that Kiku Honda has been a loyal follower of Yao Wang ever since he was young. He's a master of Japanese martial arts and his sword skills are nothing to be scoffed at. Close combat with him would be quite difficult," Feliks said, still reading the profile.

"Ha, don't worry! I can take him."

"You may be able to hold your own in a fight, but I doubt you could beat a karate master."

"That's what you say," Gilbert said childishly, sticking out his tongue. "I've been training in martial arts for the last five years."

Feliks smiled. "Only five? I've been training ever since I could walk."

Gilbert's mouth dropped open, and he gave Feliks an incredulous stare. He quickly recovered, however, and he scoffed as he said, "Yeah? Well...good for you. We should spar sometime. You know, to see if you're claims are true."

"Sure. Anywhere, anytime. I'm ready when you are," Feliks said confidently.

"Fine. I can't wait to beat ya!" Gilbert exclaimed smugly. Feliks smirked in response. If there was one thing he let himself be cocky about, it was his fighting skills.

"We'll just see about that."

* * *

That night, Feliks had a lot to think about. Now that he knew that Toris was bi, he couldn't stop a tiny flame of hope from igniting. He actually had a chance! But there was still a question of whether or not it was worth it. Should he risk everything for a boy he just met so recently? And on a mission no less!

But Feliks _really_ cared about Toris, so was it so wrong for the Pole to be selfish, just this once? His whole life, he had been serving someone else, making sure the criminals didn't have a chance to hurt the innocent. And it wasn't like Feliks hadn't enjoyed it; he loved being an agent, getting that satisfaction from completing a mission. But being a spy his whole life also meant he had been missing out on so many social ties, and he was bound to feel lonely once in a while.

_Why does my life have to be so complicated?_ he thought ruefully. _Whether to risk it all or not. That's the question I always ask myself. But I can never come up with an answer. After defeating some of the toughest criminals in the world, who knew some Lithuanian prince would end up being my_ kryptonite?

The more Feliks thought about it, the more he grew frustrated.

_Why is this the toughest mission ever?_

* * *

**And there, my lovelies, was chapter 17. This is setting up the stage for some key future events in this story. I'll let you guys have fun trying to guess what they are ;D**

**As for the notes:**

**1. "Guten Morgen" means "good morning" in German.**

**2. "Facile" means "simple" or "easy."**

**3. And as for the gaydar thing...I'm not really sure if this concept has any sort of merit, and my guess is no. It's hard to tell what sexuality someone is, because, of course, who you like doesn't predetermine who you are as a person . But hey, it's not like I've ever been the best at reading people, so I guess some people do have a "gaydar."**

**Anyways, cya next time guys! Please review if you want to, and I hope to be back soon with another chapter!**


	18. Chapter 18

**Darnit, I feel like it's been forever since I last updated. I'm going to have to get it together, otherwise it's going to take forever to finish this story. :( Anyways, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter. One of these days, I'm planning on going through all of the past chapters and revising them. T****here's some awkward wording and mis-spellings I probably missed.**

**As always, I immensely enjoyed reading your reviews (But I must say, I felt guilty whenever I got one. Since I hadn't updated and all :P) Thank you to ****a guest reviewer, ****Ekouta, BrushingLittleKisses, chibichocolate1313, coin1996, Painting Politics and Poland, SmileyFacesSmile, FinDeiRoma, CherryPie1399, BloodStainedLetter for the reviews :D**

**Anyways, there's some fluff in this chapter, which I had fun writing. Enjoy chapter 18!**

* * *

The rain was falling mercilessly. But the constant sound of water hitting asphalt wasn't enough to drown the cries of pain that cut through the air.

"Urg!" a dark figure grunted as he fell to his knees. He stared at the filthy, drenched ground. Anything to distract him from the intense pain emanating from his multiple wounds.

"Have you not had enough?" a thickly accented voice asked, amused. "This could all be over, if only you'd tell me where your boss is."

The injured man looked up in order to glare at the hulking man who stood before him. He took a few labored breaths before he wretched and spit at his attacker's feet. He then declared in a raspy voice, "I'll never tell you where hyong **(1)** is! You'll have to kill me first, Braginski."

Ivan chuckled and said in a voice that was too casual for the situation, "I see Yao _does_ have the most loyal of followers after all. How good for him. However, I will find him, one way or another." He paused to address a person who was standing stiffly to his right. "Natalia, please take care of him. I want to make sure he's quiet during transportation."

"Anything for you, big brother," Natalia said sweetly as she approached the pitiful man on the ground. She grinned sadistically as she exclaimed, "It is time for you to pay for defying my brother."

Quickly, the raven-haired man got to his feet, ignoring the extreme discomfort this caused him. He was able to move just in time in order to dodge a kick Natalia had aimed at his head. He then attempted to punch Natalia in the stomach, which the woman easily blocked. But by that time, he was slow and sluggish due to his injuries, and was unable to block a hit which Natalia delivered to the back of his neck. There was a small thud as the man fell to the ground, unconscious.

Ivan smiled as he said, "Yong Soo Im, you truly are a fool. But at least now you will be of some use to me."

* * *

"I just know Braginski must be up to something as we speak," Feliks muttered. He took a moment to look around and make sure that nobody else was around to hear what he had to say next. "Last night, I received a small package. After checking it for any tampering or bombs, I opened it. It was a copy of _The Story of King Arthur and his Knights._ **(2)** There was a menu for a Chinese restaurant inside it too."

It had been about a week since Toris's confession, and it was now early October. The air was already chillingly thin, and the trees continued to shed their leaves. On this certain weekend, Gilbert and Feliks were taking walk to a park. It was Gilbert's idea. Something about "needing a meeting place in order to plan the next step in their operation."

_Why did I even agree to this?_ Feliks thought as he observed each of his breaths become mist.

"I bet it was from Arthur. Seems just like the fancy thing that dude would do. Besides the is the story of King _Arthur_ so it is pretty obvious. Man, the guy is pretty full of himself," Gilbert commented.

"Look who's talking. Besides, I've already guessed that much. It's just the suggested meeting place...why a Chinese restaurant? And there isn't any indication of a date. How am I supposed to know when to meet him?"

"My guess is that Arthur's waiting to give you more details. I wouldn't sweat it if I were you. Anyways, we have more pressing matters at hand."

At that moment, the two rounded the corner and reached the entrance of the park. Without warning, Gilbert began to run in front of Feliks and called out, "Last one to that bench is unawesome! Kesese!"

Feliks just shook his head at Gilbert's childishness and continued towards the bench with a leisurely stride. _How can he always have so much energy?_ he wondered. Once the Pole had caught up with the rambunctious albino, he sat down on the wooden bench and gave a long sigh. _Even this bench is cold_.

"Man, you're really slow! Or maybe I'm just too awesome!" Gilbert proclaimed loudly. He then did a few ridiculous "victory" poses for good measure.

"Just shut up and tell me why we're at the park," Feliks said sternly. He was in no mood for Gilbert's antics.

"Fine, jeez, Mr. Crabbypants. We're here so we can discuss our next step in getting your little Lithuanian love-muffin to fall for you!"

"Don't call him that."

"Are you sure you got your coffee this morning? Anyways, I figured it was about time you two went on a date!"

"What?" Feliks's eyebrows furrowed. He hadn't fully processed what Gilbert had said. "A...date?"

"Ja, didn't you hear me? It'll be easy. Just tell him that you want to spend some time together after school tomorrow. It's an awesome way to get him to see that soft, mushy-gushy Feliks that's hidden deep inside, just fighting to get out!" Gilbert explained as he waggled his eyebrows. He also smirked as he expected to be praised for his brilliant plan.

"First of all, don't ever say that again. Second, fine, I-I guess I'll try asking him tomorrow," Feliks said.

"Great! Everything is going according to my awesome plan!"

The two sat in silence as they watched two little kids, a girl and a boy, run around on the grass in front of them. They were playing catch with a blue rubber ball, and each of them would scream in delight when they managed to catch it. Suddenly, the boy threw the ball too high for the girl to catch, and it landed at Feliks's feet.

"Huh?" Feliks remarked softly as he felt the object hit the front of his foot. He bent down to pick it up and held it out in front of him. He then noticed the little girl who stood in front of him, her arms held out expectantly.

"Here you go," he said as he offered the ball to her. The little girl's eyes lit up with happiness and she grinned widely.

"Thank you, mister!" she yelled before she ran back to resume playing with her friend. A tiny smile pulled at the corner of Feliks's mouth.

"You could have just kicked the ball back to them, you know," Gilbert commented as he stretched his arms.

"So?"

"It's nothing. Just something I noticed."

A few more minutes of silence ensued before Feliks spoke again, "Gilbert?"

"Ja?"

"W-where does one exactly go? For a... date?"

Gilbert chuckled. "So that's what you're worried about?"

"Never mind, forget I ever asked," Feliks said quickly, not wanting to face Gilbert's ridicule.

"Nah, it's okay. Wouldn't expect such an introvert-"

"Excuse me?"

"Fine, a "serious worker" such as yourself to know about dating," Gilbert amended. "Anyways, you _could_ just ask him where he wants to go. He'll probably come up with something boring, but it'll be something you can handle."

"Okay..." Feliks said doubtfully. "So that's it? That's all you wanted to tell me?"

"Yup."

"Then why did we walk all the way to the park?"

"Oh, I just wanted to stretch my legs. And walks are so boring and unawesome when you don't have someone else to walk with."

"...Damn you."

* * *

Monday arrived too quickly for Feliks's taste. Soon, he found himself sitting in homeroom, watching Toris read a book which he was seemingly immersed in.

_Okay Feliks, you've done this sort of thing a thousand times before. There's nothing different about this time._

Of course, there _was _something different. He was about to ask Toris on a _date._ Albeit, Feliks wouldn't admit that it was a date, but the Pole was nervous all the same. Currently, pondered how in the world he would approach the situation. In the end, he decided that the direct approach would be the best.

"Hey, Toris?"

"Yes Felicia?" Toris replied, lifting his head up from his book.

"I-I wanted to ask you to...uh...to-"

At that moment, the bell rang and the silence was ended by dozens of chairs being moved and the chatter of high school students. Following suit, Feliks and Toris gathered their things and started towards their next class.

"So, you were trying to ask me something?" Toris said once they were in the hallway.

"Um, yes. I was going to ask you if...if you finished the English assignment," Feliks mumbled after he lost his nerve. _Coward,_ he thought dejectedly.

"Oh, I did. Why do you ask?"

"Just thought we could...compare notes," Feliks lied.

"That's a great idea," Toris said with a smile.

"Yep...just great," Feliks muttered to himself. _I guess I'll have to ask him later._

**oooooOOOOOooooo**

_Why does this always happen to me? Seriously, why does it always come down to last period?_

It was almost the end of school and Feliks _still_ had not gathered the courage to ask Toris. Every time he tried, he'd just chicken out at the last second and scold himself for being so gutless.

Feliks sat on the bench while he watched Toris finish his last lap around the track. The coach, for some reason, had wanted all of the track team to go separately, one by one. Probably to gauge how each runner had improved since the beginning of the year. Not that it bothered Feliks. It gave him the chance to think about his next move.

Soon enough, the familiar shrill ring of the bell resounded throughout the gym and the track team disbanded to head to the locker rooms.

While he and Toris walked down the hallway, Feliks decided enough was enough. He was a seasoned agent for God's sake!

"Toris?"

"Yes?"

"I...uh...do you want to hang out later today?" Feliks said quickly after taking a deep breath.

Toris stopped walking and looked at Feliks in surprise. "Hang out? Today?"

Feliks nodded, his heart thumping, and his mouth suddenly too dry to form words.

"W-well...okay. If you want to," Toris said softly, a nervous smile on his face. "Um, where would you like to go?"

"I was thinking...maybe you could take me somewhere you'd like to go to," Feliks suggested. "I don't really know much about this area."

"Sure, that sounds great. Even though I don't really know a lot about this town either," Toris laughed timidly. "So...uh, yeah. After we finish changing in the locker rooms, I'll take you to the place I have in mind."

"Okay," Feliks said while nodding. Even though he didn't show it, the Pole was positively elated at this point. _I finally did it__, _he thought victoriously. _But, where are we going?_

* * *

"Um...it's a pony."

"Neigh!"

Feliks and Toris were standing just outside of a barn. The Pole was doing his best to ignore the horrible smell, and instead focused on the animal that stood before him. After about an hour train ride, Toris had apparently brought Feliks to a ranch. A ranch in the middle of nowhere. This was definitely not what he was expecting.

"Actually, it's only a young foal, but it's easy to confuse the two," Toris informed.

"So, how do you know about this ranch?" Feliks asked as he hesitantly pet the young horse in front of him. The horse in question gave a small whinny in appreciation.

_This thing is actually kind of cute._

"I help the owner with taking care of the animals sometimes. I guess I like it because it reminds me of my homeland," Toris said fondly as he patted the horse's mane.

"You had a horse in Lithuania?" Feliks asked. Of course, the Pole already knew that as the Lithunian prince, Toris's family owned many stables. But he still felt like keeping up the conversation.

"Oh...w-well...," Toris started to stutter, scared he might have said more than he should have. "My family's neighbor owned a farm. H-he used to let me ride the horses all time."

"That's sweet," Feliks said as he pictured Toris as a child, riding a horse with a big smile on his face. He felt his face heat up at the thought. Quickly, he banished it from his mind.

After a few moments of silence, Toris spoke up. "Would you like to give it a try?"

"Give what a try?"

"Um, riding a horse," Toris suggested meekly.

"Me? Ride one of these?" Feliks asked, suddenly wary of the foal he was petting. He wasn't so sure about this. Sure, he had once ridden a racing horse while on a mission in England, but that was for a mission and had been spur of the moment. And it wasn't like Feliks had been successful at steering the creature either. It was best he not remember the incident anyways. In the end, he had caught his target, and that as all that mattered.

"Sure, it'll be easy," Toris said encouragingly. "Wait here. I'll get you a saddle and then I can teach you how to ride."

"Okay..." Feliks replied uneasily as he watched Toris head into the barn.

_I hope this doesn't end in a disaster._

After Toris returned with a saddle and other pieces of gear, he showed Feliks how to set up everything. Soon enough, a chestnut-brown, adult horse was all saddled-up and ready to go. All that was missing was a rider.

_I guess it's a good thing I wore pants instead of a skirt today._

Toris gave a few good pats to the saddle and asked, "So, are you ready?"

"Not really," Feliks said while smiling weakly.

"Don't worry, you'll be fine. I promise," Toris said reassuringly. "Come on, I'll help you get on."

Slowly, Toris helped Feliks mount the horse. The Pole wobbled a bit before he found a position in which he was able to balance. Toris took the reigns in his hand as he started to lead the horse out into the open area of the ranch.

"Where are we going?" Feliks asked, still not feeling exactly comfortable as he rode the large animal.

"Nowhere in particular," Toris said. The Lithuanian seemed much more relaxed now. He looked up and gave Feliks a grin which the Pole returned. "I sort of wish it was spring now. You would be able to see the fields with the wildflowers in bloom."

Feliks took the moment to survey his surroundings. What he saw made him take a quick breath of surprise. The scenery in front of him was breathtakingly beautiful. What lay before him looked like a sea of gold. Long stalks of grain, nearly ready for harvest, swayed gently in the wind and on top of the horse, Feliks felt like he could see for miles.

"It's-wow," Feliks said in amazement. "I can see why you like it so much here. It reminds me of the farms in Poland."

"It is pretty beautiful," Toris said wistfully.

"Hey Toris? Do you think we could go faster?"

Toris thought for a moment. "Well I guess we could. But I would probably have to...uh...ride with you..."

"Okay then. Hop on," Feliks said simply.

"Y-you mean, you're okay with riding with me?" Toris said, his cheeks suddenly dusted with pink.

"Sure, if it means we can go faster, what are you waiting for?"

"U-um, okay. G-give me a moment," Toris said as he prepared hoist himself onto the horse. In no time, the Lithuanian was sitting closely behind Feliks, holding the reins with both hands. As a result, Toris almost had his arms around Feliks, something the Pole was _not_ oblivious to.

"Are you ready?" Toris asked.

"Yep," Feliks said shortly, doing his best to fight off the blush that was consuming his cheeks.

"Then hold on tight!" Toris warned as he gave a quick tug on the reins and a soft kick to the horse's side. This caused the horse to go into a slow canter and then quicken into a fast gallop.

The wind caressed Feliks's face and he felt invigorated by the rhythmic sounds of hooves hitting the ground. This, and the way the surrounding trees and other vegetation became a blur made Feliks feel like he was flying.

"This is amazing!" Feliks laughed as they continued to race through the fields of grain. He turned around to see Toris grin happily in agreement. The brunette's eyes reflected the glow of the quickly-setting sun and he looked more carefree than ever before. The Pole quickly snapped his head to look down, instead concentrating on the thick, course hair on the horse's shoulders.

_Look at that shiny horse coat... _he though determinedly. _Still...this does feel really nice._

Eventually, the horse's gait slowed down to a calm walk, and Feliks could see that they were approaching the barn. He was slightly disappointed that their ride was over, but it was already getting late and everything was doused in an orange and pink haze. It wouldn't be long until night time.

"Well, I guess it's time to dismount," Toris said when they finally reached the corral. He carefully jumped down from the horse's back and then helped Feliks in his decent.

"Thanks," Feliks said as he took Toris's hand and stepped down from the saddle. "It'll be dark soon. We should probably return to town."

"Right," Toris agreed. After thanking the ranch's owner ("It was nothing! You two can come down here anytime you'd like.") they walked back to the train station.

* * *

"So..." Toris began bashfully, "did you like it?"

The question hung in the air as Toris waited for Feliks's answer. The train they had boarded was surprisingly empty, and they were approaching their stop.

"Of course," Feliks said fondly. "It was a great idea."

"Really? You think so?" Toris looked truly happy.

"Mhm," Feliks hummed contentedly.

A telltale tone resounded throughout the train, signalling the arrival to their stop. "World Academy Area," came the automated voice.

"Looks like this is our stop," Feliks said as he stood up to exit the train, with Toris following closely behind.

After they watched the train continue onto it's next destination without them, Toris asked, "Are you okay with getting home?"

"Sure, don't worry about me," Feliks replied. "So...I guess this is good bye?"

"I-I guess so," Toris stuttered, suddenly nervous about something. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Yep," came the short confirmation. The mood was now awkward, and Feliks wanted, no _needed _to do something about it. His heart pounded wildly in his chest and he swallowed thickly before speaking again.

"Hey Toris?"

"Yes Felicia?"

"Thank you. Really."

The two exchanged peaceful glances as Toris said, "It was no problem. I think...maybe we should hang out like this more often."

At this, Feliks felt a light flutter in his chest. "Sure. I can be the tour guide next time."

Toris gave one last smile. "That sounds really nice. Well, bye Felicia."

"Bye Toris," Feliks said while waving. He watched Toris's silhouette become smaller and smaller as the Lithuanian walked down the street, back to his home.

As he walked back to his apartment, Feliks felt like he was walking on air. He felt the same joy and satisfaction he thought he could only derive from completing a mission. But his small celebration was tinged with the tiniest bit of sadness as he had to wonder, _How can someone like him be one of Braginski's followers?_

* * *

"Well? Where is he? I haven't been annoyed even once today. Is Yong Soo planning some ridiculous prank again?"

"Actually, I've just received a report from our intelligence in the city," a small, lithe man replied.

"And?" Yao prompted. He always wondered why Kiku couldn't just get to the point sometimes.

"Yong Soo has been kidnapped," Kiku informed, a small tone of worry evident in his voice.

"What?! Kidnapped? By whom?"

"...Braginski."

"Aiyah," came the distressed reply. "Of course the idiot had to get caught by Ivan." Yao massaged his forehead as he stared into his lap. "What are we going to do, Kiku? He could already be dead."

"Not likely," Kiku reasoned. "Ivan is probably keeping him so he can lure you out into the open. As long as we come up with a plan, we may be able to save him."

"Fine," Yao said calmly. "You get started on this. I need to think for a while."

"Hai," Kiku said as he bowed slightly. **(3)**

After Kiku left the room, Yao let his head fall back as he stared into the ceiling. He grit his teeth and took a long sigh. How was he going to get out of this one?

"Why do you always get yourself into trouble, didi?" **(4)**

* * *

**And that was chapter 18, ladies and gentlemen! I know some of you must have been expecting something more during their "not-date" and believe me, I was itching to write it too. But alas, it is too soon in the story for that climactic event. Don't worry, when it finally happens, it'll be awesome XD**

**As for the notes:**

**1.) Hyong is Korean for the brother of a boy**

**2.) _King Athur and his Knights_ is a book based on the legend of King Arthur. It was written by Howard Pyle in the 19th century, and I thought it was fitting for Arthur :3**

**3.) Hai is Japanese for "yes."**

**4.) And didi is Mandarin for "younger brother." After multiple years of studying Mandarin, I should at least know _that_ much, haha.**

**Oh look, a pony! Yeah, I had them right a horse at a ranch. Why? Because Poland isn't Poland without his pony ;D **

**Anyways, if this chapter left you with some questions, then I guess I'm doing my job right. BTW I caught my first shiny Pokemon earlier today XD It was a sandshrew, and it was while I was doing one of the "quests" for the safari zone owner. I nearly had a heart attack when it appeared :O**

** I hope this February break is treating you all well, for those who go by the American academic year. Hopefully, I can squeeze one or two more updates this week out of this brain, with all the extra time I have. Hope to update real soon! Bye!**


	19. Chapter 19

**Hey guys, sorry that this is super late DX The past week was the last week of the term so I had a lot of term tests. :P I also had some difficulty in writing this chapter, since there's a lot of events that I need to transition into. Anyways, we find out a bit more about Toris in this chapter, and it's about time too. Toris is still a pretty mysterious character.**

**Thank you to Alos-kun, lafayette722, Iricelli, ShayminDragon, Megnin, Glermon, Painting Politics and Poland, coin1996, BloodStainedLetter, CherryPie1399, and ****a guest reviewer for the reviews :D. You guys make me so happy X)**

* * *

Feliks gave an absentminded sigh as he turned the doorknob to his apartment door. It had been such a nice day, and although he was hesitant to admit it, Feliks was looking forward to his next "not-date" with Toris. Right now, the Pole was feeling very peaceful and he was hoping that nothing, or _no one_, would ruin it**.**

The moment he entered the apartment, Feliks kept his eyes cast down as he flipped the light switch. Taking a deep breath, he rested his forehead against the cool wooden door as he locked the door. Even though his day had been fun, he was still tired, and couldn't wait until he could jump into bed and-

"So, how'd it go?"

_Great._

"How do you think it went?" Feliks responded cryptically, not even bothering to turn around and face his "guest." Really, what was Gilbert doing there?

"Why are you in my apartment?" Feliks continued as he swiveled around on the spot, expecting the sight of Gilbert lazing about on his sofa as usual. But he was surprised to see a certain Frenchman also sitting next to Gilbert. The Pole raised an eyebrow as he said, "Oh. Hello Francis."

"Bonsoir, Feliks," Francis greeted with a small wave of his hand.

"What? So I don't get a hello?" Gilbert huffed. But the Prussian was still smiling as he said, "Anyways, judging from that look of bliss on your face, I would say that your little date went pretty damn well. Thanks to me, of course!"

"Oh hon hon, so our petit Feliks has found himself un amour?" Francis waggled his eyebrows. "Who is the lucky boy then?"

_Of all the the things he could ask, that's his first question. _And it was a question that Feliks didn't really know how to answer. Unlike Gilbert, Francis took the rules of being an agent more seriously, and Feliks wasn't sure how he would react. After all, Gilbert was the only one who knew about his, well, "crush" on Toris, if you could call it that.

"It's that shy Lithuanian boy." Gilbert smirked as he answered for Feliks. Francis's eyes widened the tiniest bit. "Toris?"

_Thanks for that, Gilbert._

"Yes," Feliks said slowly. He knew he was treading on thin ice. He gave a harsh glare towards Gilbert as he explained, "B-but it was only to gather information. And it wasn't even a date."

"I see," Francis said as he eyed Feliks. He then addressed Gilbert and said, "Gilbert, would you be a dear and get us some refreshments? They are in a bag in the kitchen."

"What do I look like, your servant?" Gilbert snorted. "Get them yourself."

"I bought a case of that German beer you like so much," Francis sing-songed. Oh yes, he knew his Prussian friend well.

"Fine," Gilbert relented, not being able to pass up a good beer or six. Lazily, he stood up and started towards the kitchen. He also sang a small tune which Feliks couldn't recognize, but he was able to make out the words "the awesome me" and "Gilbird." _Typical_.

Once Gilbert had exited the room, Francis wasted no time in voicing his thoughts. "You are treading on a dangerous path, mon ami."

Feliks narrowed his eyes and bit the inside of his cheek. "What do you mean?"

"This date you went on, something tells me that it was not just for the mission, non?"

"W-what are you talking about? Of course it was," Feliks said disdainfully. But he couldn't stop his heart from speeding up like a bullet train. What was he going to do now? Francis knew, and Feliks would be _ruined_ if the Frenchman were to tell the director about it.

Francis gave a sad smile. "No matter how much you try to hide it, I can still see it in your eyes. You love him, don't you? And you must be worried about what will happen, oui?"

Feliks chose to stay silent. He pursed his lips and refused to make eye contact with Francis. How was he supposed to answer, when Francis had been spot on?

"Well, I cannot assure you that the director will approve of this," Francis continued. "Most likely, he will object strongly against it. But your secret is safe with me. After all, who am I to interfere with the ways of l'amour?" **  
**

Feliks took the time to mull this over. _So, he's not going to tell the director? Why?_ It took the Pole a few moments to realized that maybe, just maybe, Francis was keeping his secret because he _cared._ Because...he was Feliks's friend, as far-fetched as that sounded. Why, only a month ago, Feliks thought he couldn't stand the annoying Frenchman and his flamboyant ways. And while that was still true, he couldn't help but feel a small spread of warmth in his chest at Francis's reassurance. **  
**

_Oh wonderful, I'm turning sentimental_, Feliks thought with slight horrification. Nevertheless, he said hesitantly, "Thank you... Francis."

Francis seemed a bit surprised at Feliks's words of gratitude. But he quickly recovered and smiled. "No problem, Big Brother is always here to help."

"Your _butler_ is back with the drinks." Gilbert's words of sarcasm announced his return. "The beer"- he raised the pack of beer cans he was holding up to his chest - "is mine. You two only get water." He dropped the cans, along with two bottles of water, onto the table with finality.

"Merci **(3)** Gilbert. But I am afraid I have to go now. I only have one thing I must let you two know." He paused for dramatic effect.

"Just tell us already," Gilbert said, rolling his eyes. He was used to his friend's antics.

"Fine, if you wish to be boring about it," Francis sighed. "Fortunately, it is good news. Alfred has recovered from his injuries, and should be able to return to work in the next few days. This means you'll be seeing him in school again."

"What I'm I going to do then?" Gilbert pouted. After all, he was only on the mission because Alfred had gotten injured in the first place.

"Don't worry, you're still a part of this mission," Francis assured. "The only difference is that you will be sharing an apartment with Alfred."

"Excellent!" Gilbert grinned. "Alfred's almost as awesome as me, kesese!"

Feliks, on the other hand, was not looking forward to having both Gilbert and Alfred as neighbors. Just one of them was enough to give him a migraine.

"So, I take it you and Alfred are good friends?" Feliks asked, curious. When he thought about it, the notion actually made a lot of sense. After all, they were both on the same level of annoying.

"You bet! He's the only agent who knows how to have fun. We're like partners in crime." Gilbert laughed boisterously, his eyes bright with mischief. "We're going to have so much fun in school. It's been so boring only having _you_ to hang out with," he complained, glancing at Feliks.

"Wow, thanks. I feel so loved," Feliks deadpanned.

" 'Cause of your Lithuanian sweetheart, no doubt," Gilbert smirked. He then opened a can of beer and took a large swig.

"Sh-shut up!" Feliks stammered, his face becoming pink. He lowered his head to hide his blush from the other two.

"Now, now Gilbert. Be nice," Francis said, sounding like a mother scolding her child. "Anyways, I'll be leaving now. I have other things to attend to. There is a file in the royal Lithuanian data base that the computer scientists are having a tough time cracking, and I am thinking a little bit of investigation is in order. And Feliks, it would be nice if you could try to find out more about Toris's _personal_ past. There is definitely something he is hiding, and it has nothing to do with Braginski."

"Sure," Feliks agreed. However, he was suspicious at the request. _Why learn about Toris's past when in the end, it's Ivan who we're after? I don't have a good feeling about this._

"Okay then. Au revoir," Francis said, opening the door and waving good-bye. He gave a final wink as he closed the door behind him.

"So what do we do now?" Gilbert wondered out loud. He continued to chug down his beer at an alarmingly fast rate. He then removed another can from its packaging and held it up to Feliks in offering. "Here. Let's see how much a lightweight like you can handle."

Feliks stared at the drink before he crossed his arms. "Gilbert. I'm only nineteen. Are you that fond of breaking the law?"

Gilbert blinked before his face broke into an expression of realization. "Oh yeah, I forgot. Probably because you act like an old man all the time, kesese!"

The Pole gave an annoyed sigh and grabbed the rest of the cans of beer off of the table. "Whatever. These are going into the fridge. I can't have you hungover at school tomorrow."

"Hey!" Gilbert cried out indignantly, making a grab for the beer, which Feliks swiftly kept out of reach. "Come on! It's only a couple of beers. Do you really think I can get drunk that easily?"

"Probably not," Feliks admitted. "But I'm not taking any chances. Besides, shouldn't you be going back to your own apartment now? You know, to get ready for Alfred's arrival?"

This seemed to perk up the Prussian's mood. He fist pumped the air and exclaimed, "Yeah! Oh man, we have so many pranks to execute. Better get started right away!"

And thus, Gilbert left Feliks's apartment in a cheerful mood. "Finally," Feliks breathed out in relief, happy to be alone. He put away the cans of beer and opened a bottle of water and drank slowly. Still, he was slightly tempted to go back to the fridge and take out a beer. Regardless of what he had told Gilbert, Feliks had had his fair share of alcoholic drinks. The legal drinking age in Poland was eighteen, although this hadn't stopped Feliks from having his first glass of wine at fifteen. Getting a target drunk was one of the best ways to gain information, after all.

Feliks shook his head resolutely. _There is no way I'm drinking for personal pleasure, ever again. Not after that mission in Ireland._ The Pole shuddered at the memory. Quickly, he let his mind wander to different thoughts.

_Toris's past..._ Feliks mused. _I guess we could go on another outing tomorrow. N-not that it would be a date! J-just to gather information..._

As Feliks prepared for the next day, he couldn't shake the feeling of anticipation, even though he had nothing to be anxious about. Like he told himself, he was _not_ spending time with Toris for personal reasons.

_Right?_

* * *

The doors of the World Academy of Hetalia burst open and students flooded each egress, eager to leave school. Soon, the front of the building was full of rambunctious teens, all of them excited to start their after-school plans.

Slowly making progress through this massive horde of people, were a certain Pole and Lithuanian. After about a minute of pushing past tons of people, they were able to catch their breath on the sidewalk in front of the school.

"Woah," Toris gasped as he leaned against the pole of a street light. "I wonder why it's so crowded right now."

"I think I heard something about a 'pep rally,'" Feliks supplied. He, too, was taking deep breaths of much-needed oxygen. "I'm not really interested in going, though."

"Me neither," Toris agreed.

"Oh, do you have plans?" Feliks asked carefully.

"No, it's not that. I'm just sort of... uncomfortable in really crowded places," Toris laughed nervously. This made Feliks chuckle along in understanding.

"So...Toris," Feliks began. Ever since the day before, Feliks found it was easier to ask Toris to spend time together. But that didn't mean that his heart would beat any slower, or that his face felt any less warm. "Gilbert told me about an ice cream shop that's only a block away. Since you don't have anywhere to be right now... would you like to go there with me?"

"A-an ice cream shop?" Toris repeated, slightly surprised at the sudden proposal. "Um...okay. I-if you want to."

"Great!" Feliks exclaimed quickly. He then grabbed Toris by the wrist and proceeded to lead him in the general direction of the ice cream shop. The day before, he had spent some time researching the town, and found a small ice cream parlor that seemed to fit his needs perfectly.

When the two were turning the final corner, Feliks spotted the colorful sign of their destination. "We're here," Feliks said both cheerfully and nervously. The Pole and Lithuanian stood in front of the shop's window which the words, _Michelle's Triple Scoop _written in cursive lettering.

"Shall we go in?" Feliks suggested.

"S-sure," stuttered Toris, whose cheeks had suddenly become red.

_Why is he acting like that?_ Feliks wondered. It took him a second to realize that his right hand felt oddly warm. He had been so fueled by adrenaline and he hadn't noticed that at some point, his and Toris's hands had become intertwined.

Now it was Feliks's turn to blush as he slowly retracted his hand from Toris's. "S-sorry," he whispered.

"It's okay," Toris said with a kind smile. "Let's go inside."

Once they entered the shop, they were greeted by the trademark smell of sugar and cream. Even Feliks had to admit that it smelled delicious.

"Hi! How may I help you?" a merry girl at the counter greeted. Her dark brown hair was tied into pig tails with two red ribbons, and she was wearing a blue uniform which matched the decor of the shop.

"Uh, hi..." Feliks responded, slightly perturbed by the girl's cheerfulness.

"Wow, I really like your top! Where'd you get it?" the girl asked amiably. Before Feliks could reply, she continued, "Oh, my name is Michelle by the way."

_Michelle...?_

"So you own this shop?" Feliks inquired, being polite and continuing the conversation.

"Sure do! I've always liked ice cream and making people happy, so owning my own ice cream shop is like a dream come true," Michelle explained. "Oh, but you're not here to listen to my life's story, are you? So, what would you like?"

_This girl sounds so... peppy. But for some reason, she doesn't annoy me that much. _

"I'll just have a cone of vanilla ice cream then," Feliks said simply. Even if it was sort of plain, the Pole wasn't really one for fancy flavors.

"Is that all? And what about your boyfriend?"

Feliks's eyes widened. "M-my what?"

"Oh, you two aren't dating? I'm sorry, but you two make such a cute couple," Michelle amended with an apologetic smile. This did nothing to quell the already-red-as-tomato faces of the Pole and Lithuanian.

"It's okay," Toris smiled shyly. "I think I'll just have a cone of strawberry ice cream."

"Great choice! I'll have your order ready in a moment," Michelle said as she grabbed two waffle cones and expertly placed a scoop of vanilla ice cream in one and a scoop of strawberry ice cream in the other. "Here you go." She offered Toris and Feliks their respective ice cream. "That'll be $5.35."

"Sure," Feliks said as he fumbled around his pockets for his wallet.

"I'll pay," Toris interjected, easily producing a black leather wallet and opening it up.

"B-but-" Feliks started.

"Don't worry. I want to," Toris said kindly. Not giving the blond a chance to protest, he drew out a few dollar bills and handed them to Michelle.

"O-okay...thanks."

While Feliks was slightly flustered at Toris's show of generosity, he was given the opportunity to glance at the inside of the Lithuanian's wallet. What immediately drew his eye was a small picture of a young boy with short and light straw-blond hair. But his most striking features were his eyes, which reminded Feliks of Toris's own light blue ones, except they had a slightly purplish tinge to them. The boy had a nervous smile, and looked like he would be quite the timid one in real life.

_Well, isn't this interesting._

"Have a nice day! Hope you enjoy your ice cream," Michelle said as she energetically waved good-bye. Toris and Feliks each gave her a nod as they licked their ice cream and exited the small shop. As Feliks continued to eat his cone, which he had to admit tasted wonderful, he couldn't get the image of that young boy out of his mind. Why did Toris have a picture of him in his wallet?

Eventually, the Pole's curiosity got the best of him. "Hey Toris?"

"Yes Felicia?" Toris responded in mid-lick. Feliks couldn't help but find the image extremely cute.

"Erm," Feliks coughed. "I-I noticed...a picture in your wallet. And I was just wondering...who is it?"

Toris seemed to freeze immediately at Feliks's words. "A-a picture? In my wallet?"

Feliks nodded slowly.

"W-well," Toris stuttered. It was obvious to Feliks that the Lithuanian was trying to come up with a convincing story.

_Why does it make me feel so... disappointed whenever he lies to me about himself?_

"Uh, he's my...my cousin! Yes, my cousin. W-we're pretty close so..." Toris trailed off nervously. Feliks decided to not torture the brunette by asking him from which side of his family his "cousin" came.

Actually, the Pole was already regretting bringing up the subject at all, since Toris's eyes were now clouded with subtle sadness and pain. The Lithunian kept looking at the ground, and Feliks was wondering who in the world the young boy in the picture would have to be in order to draw this sort of reaction from Toris.

"I-I'm sorry for asking. It wasn't any of my business," Feliks murmered softly.

Immediately, Toris put on a small smile and said, "It's okay, it's not your fault. It's just...kind of hard to think about my family."

Feliks nodded in understanding. He then felt something wet and sticky drip down his fingers and realized that his ice cream had started to melt in his hand. He ignored this, however, in favor of using his other hand to grasp Toris's firmly. At first, the brunette was surprised at the sudden contact, but he relaxed and allowed himself to be led around by Feliks yet again, with a smile.

After a short time, the two reached the big arch in front of the Academy and stood around awkwardly before Feliks broke the silence.

"I guess I should be going back to my apartment," he announced.

"Okay then...I'll see you tomorrow," Toris replied, with much less awkwardness than the day before. "Bye Felicia."

"Bye Toris." And thus, they went their separate ways.

* * *

Feliks swung the door to his apartment door wide open. Once Feliks entered the safe-haven of his apartment, he immediately felt something hard underneath his foot.

_Ouch. What the-?_

He looked down and noticed two green shiny pieces of s_omething_ on the floor just in front of the threshold, suggesting that somebody had slid them under the doorway. He bent down to pick them up and inspected them closely.

_These look like...mahjong pieces_, Feliks realized. Each of the tiles had jade-green backs, but on the reverse side, one of them had six bamboo shoots, while the other had five circles. _Six and five? What does this mean?_

Feliks thought long and hard about what the two mahjong pieces could mean and why they were there. Finally, he realized that it must have been Arthur who sent them, and they must have represented a certain date for them to meet.

_But why six and five? Does he mean eleven, as in the eleventh month?_ It was October at the time, and that meant there was less than a month left until November, the eleventh month of the year.

"So he wants to meet next month?" Feliks wondered aloud. He then grew frustrated. "But that's not specific enough!"

_He should be sending the actual date soon then_, Feliks surmised.

"Ugh, whatever. I should just go to bed."

But even as Feliks lay there and was preoccupied with wondering why Arthur would send him a pamphlet for a Chinese restaurant and mahjong pieces, there was still one question which he just couldn't shake.

_Who is that boy in the picture?_

* * *

**And that was chapter 19! I believe with this new addition, this story will have reached over 50k words :O I can't believe it. I've seriously never written something this long ever before, and I thank you guys so much for sticking with me so far. I really hope the next update will come sooner, but with school, it always depends. Plus, my friend's birthday is coming up, and I'll be working on her gift as well. **

**Anyways, hope to see you guys soon! Bye!**


	20. Chapter 20

**First of all, I would just like to say that my sincerest thoughts are with the victims of the bombing in Boston that occurred on Monday, April 15th.**

** It's especially personal for me because...well...remember how I said I live in a city in Massachussetts? Well, Boston just so happens to be that city. In fact, I was watching the marathon, but luckily I left more than an hour before the bombs went off. But still, the whole event just leaves one with questions of _why?_ Why would someone do something so evil? Why did innocent people ****lose their limbs ****or ****die, including an eight-year-old boy who just wanted the world to live in peace? ****But I can tell you that Boston is far from broken. We are a resilient people, and the heroism that I've heard about, the people who helped others who were badly injured immediately after the explosions, show what it means to be a Bostonian.**

**Now, one of the suspects is dead and the other is now in custody. There are still a lot of questions that have yet to have answers, but for right now, I'm relieved. **

**And now, for your author's note.**

**Argh. _Argh. ARGHHH._**

**FINALLY! It's been so long since the last update. T.T I must say, I apologize profusely for the long wait. It's just, the application for a certain program I'm applying to is due very soon, and I have to come up with a proposal for a Latin art project that is sure to be a pain in the ass. D: And school has been full of essays, exams, and projects... DX -dead- Ugh...I suck...**

**Aiyah~ sometimes I just need to take a moment and just...get my head together, ya know?**

**Anyways, I hope you enjoy this long-awaited chapter. Presenting: Chapter 20!**

* * *

Feliks was having a bad morning.

No, it was not because he was tired, or because he had missed breakfast. The reason for the current scowl on his face was _them, _the prankster kings themselves.

As Francis had warned, Alfred had returned to the mission the day before. Initially, Feliks was relieved to see him fully healed. The guilty conscience that had been gnawing away at him, ever since the botched operation, dissipated, once he saw the American laughing and running around once again.

But having Alfred and Gilbert in the same room was a dangerous combination, which was proven by the duo's most recent shenanigans.

_I swear, once school ends, I will make sure those two will never be able to have children,_ Feliks thought darkly. He stalked down the hallway, avoiding the eyes of any passerby. He didn't want to see the mocking stares that he was so sure would greet him if he were to so much as look up from the ground.

_What am I going to do?__ Toris is going to see me like this. I can't believe this... _

As Feliks entered his homeroom, he gave the area a quick once-over, before finally making eye contact with Toris, who was sitting in his usual seat in the back. Immediately, Feliks felt his face grow warmer from embarrassment and gave a weak smile, which was returned by the brunette. Feliks then shuffled to his seat, taking care to not trip on any of the desks or chairs and making even _more _of a spectacle of himself.

Feliks gave a quiet huff when he plopped down onto his seat. He removed his textbooks for his next class from his book bag, did his best to put on a cheerful face, and said, "Good morning, Toris."

"Good morning to you too, Felicia," Toris returned the greeting cheerfully, taking a moment to look up from his textbook and gaze attentively at Feliks. Unfortunately for Feliks, this caused Toris to notice the Pole's outfit. "Oh, is it a special occasion today?"

_Shoot. He noticed. _

_"_Uh...not really," Feliks laughed nervously. "Gilbert...wanted to choose my clothes this morning. And since Alfred returned to town yesterday, he decided to join in on the...er...makeover. So...they just put together some outfit for me."

"Some outfit" was an understatement. Feliks was dressed in a light pink sundress, which was way too cold for the time of year. Various flower designs dominated the vestment, and to Feliks, it felt like he was wearing his grandmother's couch. And not just any couch, a couch with frills and meticulous beading. There was also an obnoxious bow at the waist to tie it all together. His shoes were no better either. The platform high heels were an offending pink, and Feliks dreaded having to walk all day in them.

"You let Gilbert and Alfred pick out your clothes for you?" The expression on Toris's face held a bit of incredulousness.

"It was more like a silly joke," Feliks admitted. In fact, it had been more than a silly joke. When Feliks awoke that morning, after he had brushed his teeth and done all of the like, he opened his closet to find it empty. It was completely void, save for the dress and shoes he was wearing currently. He hadn't had any time to track down the two hooligans who he knew were responsible for the prank, so he was forced to put on the antagonizing outfit. "It's pretty embarrassing, isn't it?"

"Actually, I think you're really pretty," Toris reassured. His eyes widened as he realized what he had said. "I- I mean, I think the dress looks very nice on you."

_Of course he would say that...why does he have to be so sweet?_

"Thanks," Feliks said softly, fighting off the blush that threatened to consume his cheeks. "I just hope that I won't get in trouble for not wearing the school uniform."

Toris gave a small hum of agreement. He then inquired, "So Alfred's back? That's nice. I wondered why he wasn't in school."

"Oh, he was just visiting a relative," Feliks lied smoothly. "But now he's back and I have to live next to Gilbert and Alfred. Together."

Toris visibly winced before he gave an encouraging smile. "Maybe it won't be as bad as you think?"

_Yeah right._

_"_Maybe..." Feliks said, still not convinced. "Anyways I-"

"Good morning students," a monotonous male voice interrupted Feliks. "Regarding the new lunch menu, that will be posted on the billboard outside of the main office shortly. Also, tickets for the winter formal, which will be held in the school gym, are going up for sale starting today. Lastly, those who are interested in joining the basketball team should see Mr. Beilschmidt in his office. That is all, have a good day."

Immediately, the class started to whisper, some animatedly, while other students groaned and started to complain to their neighbor. Feliks couldn't catch any specific conversation, but he could imagine what some of the girls were so excited about, and it definitely wasn't the new lunch menu. He shook his head slightly and reverted his attention back to Toris.

"Anyways, I think it's best if I spend as much time out of that apartment complex as possible. Do you have anything to do after school today?"

Toris thought for a moment before answering, "No...I don't think I have anything planned. We can do our homework together in the library if you want to."

"Sure, that sounds nice," Feliks said while nodding. _At least I don't have to worry about running into Gilbert and Alfred in the library._

* * *

Toris and Feliks were enjoying light conversation during lunch. Feliks in particular felt relieved to have a chance to relax after the irritating prank he had faced that morning.

"I think Mr. Beilschmidt is thinking of scheduling additional practices for the track team," Toris said after he swallowed a bite of his sandwich. "He keeps saying that we'll never be in shape in time for our track meet."

"Hopefully he doesn't," Feliks said with a small frown. "I'm already so tired whenever we have seventh period with him."

"Me too," Toris agreed.

Suddenly, two plastic trays with food landed loudly on the table, startling Feliks and Toris. The trays were quickly followed by their owners, who each pulled up a chair next to Feliks.

"Hey guys, watcha talkin' about?" Alfred asked before he proceeded to stuff his face with a cheeseburger. However, he continued to look expectantly at Toris and Feliks.

"Ja, you guys talking about anything interesting?" This time, it was Gilbert who asked the question. And instead of a cheeseburger, it was something which Feliks could only guess was some kind of potato dish, that he ate.

"Hi Alfred, hi Gilbert. We weren't discussing anything really important," Toris said with a polite smile. Meanwhile, Feliks was glaring daggers at the two and managed to ground out an annoyed, "Hello."

Gilbert and Alfred's eyes sparkled with mischief and mirth as they took in the outfit that Feliks was wearing. Alfred covered his mouth in a poor attempt to muffle his snorts while Gilbert wore a shit-eating grin.

"Not. One. Word," Feliks said threateningly to the both of them.

"What?" Gilbert asked innocently. "Not one word about what?"

"You know exactly what I'm talking about. Where did you put all of my clothes?"

"Don't worry dude," Alfred cut in, "you'll find them before the end of the day."

"No, I want you to tell me _now._" _Or else,_ Feliks added in his thoughts. He was getting really tired of these two idiots.

"I don't know why you're so mad," Gilbert said while taking the time to leisurely stretch his arms, "I think you look pretty good. Don't you agree, Toris?"

"H-huh? Oh, yes, during homeroom I was telling her that I thought she looked...very pretty..." Toris trailed off shyly.

"See? Even Toris agrees," Gilbert said as if that solved everything. Feliks decided to not pursue the subject any further. Besides, he could deal with Alfred and Gilbert, when nobody else would be around to hear their screams.

"So, what are you two going to do after school?" Alfred asked. Immediately, Feliks perked up in alarm.

_No no no no..._

"We were going to do our homework together in the library," Toris said. Feliks shook his head rapidly at Toris, knowing what the brunette was about to say. But Toris remained painfully oblivious to Feliks's warning. "Would you like to join us?"

_Damn it._

"That sounds so _boring_," Alfred complained. "But I guess I have nothing better to do."

"Same here," Gilbert said, adding insult to injury. Feliks groaned, making Toris realize his mistake. The brunette quickly sent an apologetic look towards Feliks, one that said, _oops...sorry._

In return, Feliks sent Toris a look that said, _don't worry...it's okay. It won't be that bad. _Even though Feliks didn't believe that himself, even for a second. Nonetheless, the Pole didn't want Toris to feel bad for his blunder, so he took the new development in stride._  
_

"Is there anything you are struggling with in the curriculum? Maybe one of us could tutor you." Feliks's offer was forced, but he still managed to keep his voice pleasant.

"Nah, not really...well...actually, you know that new book we're reading in ELA? Great...exploitations or something," Alfred said.

"You mean _Great Expectations_?" Toris prompted. **(1)**

"Yeah, that one. Anyways, how are we supposed to write about how Pop or whatever his name is-"

"Pip," Feliks interrupted.

"What?"

"The main character's name is Pip," Feliks said, unamused. "Alfred, did you even read the book?" There wasn't any reason why the American shouldn't have read it. During one of his visits, Feliks had given Alfred a copy of the novel so he could catch up on his school work.

"Well..." Alfred had the decency to look sheepish, "I might've...skimmed through a few pages..."

"So in other words, you only read the first and last page?"

"Yep."

Gilbert chuckled and raised his arm to pat Alfred on the back. "Worry not mein freund, **(2)** I didn't read any of the book either. Reading is such a waste of my awesome time! But Felicia is going to help us right?" Gilbert asked this with fake, pleading eyes and a pout.

"Why should I help _you_? At least Alfred read _some_ of the book. You just didn't even try," Feliks pointed out with slight indignation. How could somebody be so relaxed about not reading a classic piece of literature by one of the greatest writers in history? Even if Gilbert didn't have to worry about doing well in school, he could at least show some respect for a revered novel.

"Eh, what can you do about it?" Gilbert shrugged. "Besides, I'll probably wing the essay. No big deal."

Feliks sighed and shook his head, and then looked at Toris to see his reaction. The brunette was giving him a comforting smile, probably understanding Feliks's frustration, for he, too, was a lover of literature.

"Whatever, it's your choice to not read the book," Feliks said. "But there's probably going to be a quiz on it sometime this week. Maybe even tomorrow."

Alfred groaned. "But it's gonna take me forever to read it!"

_At least he cares enough to be worried. Why does he care about doing well anyways? Is he trying to impress Arthur? _

From his previous experience working with Arthur, Feliks could guess that the Englishmen put great value into education, especially concerning literature. It seemed feasible that Alfred wanted to be able to prove to Arthur that he was more than just brawn. Suddenly feeling devious, Feliks smirked to himself before saying, "Okay Alfred, I'll tutor you personally. With my help, you're sure to get an A."

Alfred grinned, his eyes lighting up with newfound excitement. "Really?! Thanks!"

"Only if," Feliks started, holding up a finger, "you tell me where my clothes are."

"What!?" Gilbert exclaimed. "Don't do it!" he then implored with Alfred.

"Sure," Alfred said, ignoring his friend's pleas. He winked as he revealed, "They're in one of the kitchen cabinets."

"Scheiße! **(3)** How could you? You completely ruined it! You're so unawesome," Gilbert accused, acting as if he had suffered the utmost betrayal.

"Hey! H- she was going to find them eventually anyways!"

Feliks, on the other hand, was pleased. He even allowed himself the slightest immaturity by sticking out his tongue at Gilbert, who grumbled and muttered a few more curse words. Immediately, a soft chuckle brought Feliks from his silent gloating.

"Huh?" Feliks uttered as he swiveled his head to look at Toris with a questioning expression.

"S-sorry," Toris stuttered with a small smile. "It's just... the whole situation was kind of funny."

"Yeah... I guess it was," Feliks said while copying Toris's smile. He felt slightly embarrassed, but still, he liked it when Toris laughed. And when he smiled. And when he-

_Get your head out of the gutter,_ Feliks angrily scolded himself. _Start thinking about something else. _

"Nonetheless, thank you Alfred," Feliks said, finding that the best distraction was to continue the conversation. "You've saved me quite an amount of searching. I probably wouldn't have looked at such an obvious place as the cabinets."

"No prob dude!"

This only rubbed salt into Gilbert's wounds. "We probably could have made her wear that thing tomorrow too!" he complained ruefully, lamenting over a genius prank that could have been.

The school bell wasn't going to give Gilbert time to recover, however, for it rang at that very moment. Sounds of moving chairs and things being thrown into the trash filled the air as students finished their lunch and proceeded to their next class.

"Gilbert and I have writing next, so we should get going. See ya later dudes!" Alfred saluted and dragged a still-gloomy Gilbert out of the cafeteria with him.

There was a brief moment of silence before Toris said optimistically, "At least you found out where your clothes are hidden. Shall we?" He gestured to the exit.

"We shall," Feliks said, nodding.

The two walked to their math class, weaving their way through the other students in the hallway.

_I know where my clothes are...but now I need to tutor Alfred,_ Feliks thought, remembering their deal. _I hope he doesn't give me too much trouble._

* * *

_"_When does the school library close?" Gilbert asked.

"Um, five-thirty, I think," Toris said.

"Great! That gives us enough time to do something awesome!" Gilbert rejoiced, swinging his backpack around.

"Totally, dude!" Alfred said, sharing Gilbert's enthusiasm.

"No way," Feliks cut in. "I'm going straight home after the library."

"Aww," Gilbert pouted. "You're no fun."

As the quartet rounded the corner, they came to a slow stop as they saw another person in the otherwise empty hallway. It took Feliks a moment to recognize the person as Natalia. Immediately, the Pole stiffened and felt a small ball of anger rise up into his chest.

Natalia seemed to be searching for someone, as she swiveled her head this way and that way, her eyebrows furrowed in irritation. Once she spotted Toris, however, she quickly made her way to them. The expression on her face was stern as she proceeded to grab Toris roughly by the arm and yank him toward her. Her voice was laced with impatience and fury as she said, "What took you so long? Have you forgotten your duty?"

Toris's eyes widened in surprise and he stuttered, "W-what?!"

Natalia's eyes narrowed and she scolded, "Don't tell me you forgot, you_ durak_." **(4) **

At the comment, Feliks clenched his hands and pressed his lips into a tight line. Calmly, he stepped in front of Toris and faced Natalia and stuck out his hand.

"Hi! My name is Felicia, and I'm a friend of Toris. Who are you?" The smile on Feliks's face was sweet and cheerful, but his eyes portrayed the real threat that he was directing towards Natalia.

Natalia seemed unimpressed, and she ignored Feliks's offer for a hand shake. "I am Natalia. I am here to retrieve Toris. I don't see how any of this is your business," she responded guardedly.

"Well, it's nice to meet you Natalia. I really like your shoes!" Feliks complimented. It left a bad taste in his mouth.

"Whatever," Natalia said curtly. Her response didn't really surprise Feliks.

_Ha. How rude, _he thought passively.

"You," Natalia said, glaring at Toris, "have kept me waiting long enough. We must leave _now_."

"B-but," Toris began, casting a distressed glance towards Feliks.

By now, a new feeling had taken hold of Feliks. Jealousy. He hated how he didn't know what Toris and Natalia's "duty" was. It was probably a task set by Ivan, but it still meant that they were spending time _t__ogether._ It meant that Toris would be with the girl who he had been wistfully staring at on that night in the warehouse. And the worst part was, Feliks couldn't do anything about it. He had no power to stop Natalia from taking Toris away. And it didn't seem like Toris _didn't_ want to go with Natalia, he must have just been worried about breaking his plans with Feliks. That _had _ to be it. The alternate explanation for Toris's hesitation, Feliks told himself, was ridiculous.

Feliks was more transparent than he thought.

Gilbert had been watching the Pole, noticing the way the blond's jaw would tense and how he would ball his hands up into tight fists. Immediately, an idea came to Gilbert, and he congratulated himself on his awesome genius.

"It's okay Toris, _Alfred_ and _I_ will take care of Felicia, right Al?" Gilbert said, throwing an arm around Feliks.

"What? What are you-" Alfred started before Gilbert gave him a wink. Immediately, the American understood.

"Ohh..." Alfred said in realization. He grinned, liking the Prussian's idea. "Yeah dude, don't worry! We'll make sure Felicia has a good time." He then grasped one of Feliks's hands.

_Why are they touching me?_ Feliks thought, irritated by the close contact. He tried to shake them off, but they wouldn't budge. _They must be up to something. _

It might have been his mind playing tricks on him, but Feliks could have sworn he saw Toris's eyes widen even more by the slightest margin. And there was _no way_ the Lithuanian had tensed up once Alfred had grasped Feliks's hand. And that spark of...s_omething _in the Lithuanian's eyes must have been a trick of the light.

_It doesn't mean anything,_ Feliks resolved. _I must be hallucinating. Because the only explanation for reactions like that would..._

It would mean that Toris was _jealous._

_"_W-well I-" Toris started to stammer.

"Did you hear that? Your friend doesn't need you. Let's go," Natalia said brashly. She began to drag Toris toward the general direction of the school's exit.

"I-I'm sorry," Toris apologized hurriedly to Feliks, as he was pulled farther and farther away. "I-I have to go now. I'll see you tomorrow Felicia!"

"Bye Toris," Feliks half-whispered, disappointment evident in his voice. But Toris was already out of sight.

"So," Gilbert said, "What do you guys want to do now."

_I need to leave. _

"I don't care what you two do now," Feliks said coldly. He harshly shook Gilbert's arm off of his shoulders and wrenched his hand from Alfred's grip. "I-I'm going to the library."

Feliks was horrified to hear his voice crack during that last sentence. He just felt so _frustrated_ and _angry,_ and he didn't want his fellow agents to see him like this. So he almost ran to the library, until Alfred's voice stopped him.

"Hey! Wait! I thought you said you would tutor me," Alfred reminded him.

_Right, I made a promise, didn't I? _

Feliks came to a stop and took a deep breath. Right now, he had a choice. Run away like a coward or... keep his promise. And Feliks was anything but a coward. Besides... he needed a distraction right now. He turned around to face Gilbert and Alfred with newly found determination in his eyes.

"Fine. Let's start studying."

* * *

**1. _Great Expectations_ is a coming-of-age novel by Charles Dickens that centers around an orphan boy named Pip.**

** 2. Mein freund is German for "my friend."**

**3. Scheiße is a German curse word which many of you may be familiar with. It means "shit." XD**

**4. Durak is Russian for fool. In this, Natalia speaks Russian (and a bit of Belarusian) since it _is_ one of the official languages of Belarus, and since she spends so much time with her brother, it's sort of a given.**

**Again, suuuuuuuuper sorry that this is so late ._. Right now, I'm in Washington D.C. and am updating this before heading on the plane back home. Thank you for reading this and sticking with me for so long! Bye! I'll update soon! **

**P.S.- expect some drama in the next chapter... ;D**


	21. Chapter 21 Part one

**YOU get an update! And YOU get and update! Everybody gets an update!**

**-you all probably hate me by now- .-.**

**Welcome to part one of chapter 21! This is a very pivotal chapter in the story, and as a result, it took me _quite a while_ to complete it. Plus, I was devoting most of my time to studying for final exams and working on final projects. Good news is, I've more than passed all six of my final exams :D. And school has just ended so now I can devote my time to writing for you guys~ **

**Thank you to Queen Umbugartus, coin1996, Cherryappleblossom9201, lafayette722, harmlessmelody37, snowdropalice, Hawayu, alex1464, and two guests for reviewing chapter 20, even during my long absence! Whenever I was about to die from exams, you guys always lifted my spirits and encouraged me to write, and for that, you have my gratitude. :)  
**

**Now, please enjoy chapter 21!**

* * *

"Feliks?"

"…What is it?"

"My eyes hurt," Alfred complained, taking off his glasses so he could rub his eyes.

"Then take a break," Feliks said simply, not bothering to tear his eyes from the book he was reading. He was sitting in one of the plushy library chairs, passing the time as he waited for Alfred to finish the first few chapters of _Great Expectations._ There were no other students in the library, which Feliks was quite thankful for. It was quiet enough for him to concentrate on his thoughts, and there was no chance of Alfred becoming distracted.

"But it's already five o'clock. What if I can't finish by the time the library closes?"

"The teacher said that the quiz was going to be on only chapters one to ten, though really, you should be much farther than that. Even so, you're already on chapter seven, so I doubt it'll take you that much longer to reach chapter ten," Feliks said. "And if you can't finish by the time the library closes, then you can read on your own tonight, can't you?"

Alfred made a small noise that sounded like a mixture between a chuckle and a scoff. "I think you and I both know that that's not going to happen." This sounded surprisingly self-deprecating, considering this was _Alfred_ who Feliks was talking to.

"What do you mean?" Feliks said, now bothering to look at Alfred. The usually-hyperactive blond was now resting his head on his book, lips jutting out in a small pout. It puzzled Feliks to see Alfred looking so…depressed.

Alfred sighed. "You know what I mean. I've never really had a talent for literature. My eyesight makes it a pain to read, even with glasses. And sometimes I can't even understand what the author is talking about. Maybe I should just stop trying."

Feliks fell silent. He furrowed his eyebrows, his lips meeting in a straight line. _I've never seen Alfred like this. Maybe it's because he misses Arthur. But still… I have a feeling there's something more to it, _Feliks couldn't help thinking._ But what do I do? How does a person comfort a…a friend?_

Ater a few more moments of silence, Feliks spoke, hoping that he was about to say the right thing. "Alfred…there's nothing wrong with taking longer to read a book. If your eyes are hurting, then just take a break. Even I have to do that sometimes. And if you can't understand something, then just ask for help. It's better to be able to admit that you need help than…to suffer…a-alone." Suddenly, Feliks felt like he wasn't just talking about Alfred anymore. "And you'll always have friends. Who support you. Like Arthur. And Gilbert, and Francis. And…m-me.

"Really?"

"Yes, really. Don't you want to be able to tell Arthur about the A you're going to get on tomorrow's quiz?"

"….Do you really believe I can ace the quiz?"

"Yes, I do."

Alfred visibly brightened at this, which made Feliks feel relieved. _I'm glad I didn't say anything wrong. _

_"_Thanks man, that really helped," Alfred said, his usual smile returning. There was a new fire in his eyes as he continued, "Okay then! I'll do my very best to get an A on that quiz! There's nothing that the hero can't do!"

_I'm glad that he's his usual happy and annoying self_, Feliks thought with an amused smile. _But I guess he still has some things to sort out with Arthur, which really, isn't any of my business. _

"Hey Feliks?" Alfred suddenly said with a mischievous glint in his eyes. This was slightly disconcerting for Feliks, and he chose to answer with a guarded, "Yes?"

"When are you going to ask Toris to the dance?" Alfred asked slyly. "I know you like him, don't deny it."

Well wasn't that just perfect? Even Alfred had noticed.

"W-why would I ask him to the dance?" Feliks responded as casually as he could manage.

"Because you luuuuurve him? And you want to sweep him off his feet?" Alfred said teasingly. "Look dude, it's easy! Just say 'do you want to go to the dance with me?' and ba da boom! He's yours!"

Feliks scoffed. "As if it were that simple. How can you be so sure that he would say yes?"

"Are you kidding?" Alfred said, not believing what he was hearing. "He's crazy about you. Have you seen the way he looks at you? Yeesh, and people say _I_ need to read the atmosphere."

"What do you mean, 'the way he looks at me'?" Feliks said scornfully. "It seems he spends most of his looking at Natalya."

"Natalya?" Alfred said curiously. "Yeah she's pretty hot—"

"Alfred!"

"In a come-any-closer-and-I'll-cut-you sort of way," Alfred continued. "But really, I think Toris is a lot happier with you."

Feliks started to blush profusely and sputtered indistinguishably. "W-whatever. It's not like I can just say, 'Oh please, will you go to the dance with me—'"

"Oh Felicia!" Alfred cut in dramatically, pretending to swoon. He clutched his heart, and it took a few moment for Feliks to realize that Alfred was trying to imitate Toris. "I love you so much! Of course I'll go to the dance with you! Oh why didn't you ask sooner?"

Feliks stood there frozen and mortified. He fought the odd urge to laugh at Alfred's antics, and instead began to tell Alfred to knock it off.

"Alfred! Stop i-"

_Thud_.

Immediately, Alfred stopped his joking and snapped his head towards the mysterious sound. Feliks followed suit, his eyes wide as he realized that maybe he and Alfred were not alone.

"What do you th-" Alfred began, before he was silenced by Feliks.

Quietly, Feliks motioned for Alfred to follow him. They both slowly stalked forward, making sure that each of their steps were light. There was a book case that stood at the side of the library entrance, and Feliks was sure that the source of the noise was hiding behind that book case.

_If it's one of Ivan's lackeys, then it shouldn't be hard for me and Alfred to subdue him. _

Finally, Feliks reached the edge of the bookcase. He took a slow breath, preparing himself for any threat that could greet him on the other side. Every seemed to stand still as Feliks peered behind the bookcase to find...

nobody there.

Feliks sighed and let himself relax. He turned around to address Alfred, "There's nothing there."

"Then what was that sound?" Alfred said.

Feliks remained silent as he studied the area behind the bookcase. His eyes landed on a lone book, laying on the floor. He picked it up, reading the title out loud, "_Great Expectations."_

"I guess somebody left their book on one of the shelves and it fell down," Alfred theorized. "The person who lost it has to be in our grade too."

"Maybe..." Feliks said softly, deep in thought. _Somehow, I don't think he's right._ "In any case, we should keep it, in case the person who lost it comes looking for it."

"I can take care of it," Alfred said, holding out his hand for the book. "It's a hero's duty to do a good deed now and then!"

"Are you sure you won't forget about it?"

"Of course I won't! Don't you trust me?" Alfred pouted and gave Feliks his best puppy-dog eyes.

In response, Feliks rolled his eyes and gave Alfred the book. "Fine. I have more important things to worry about, anyways."

"I won't let ya down, dude. Hero's honor," Alfred promised. He then took a look at his watch and his eyes widened when he saw the time. "It's almost five-thirty. I think we gotta leave."

"Okay then," Feliks agreed. He walked back to the table that they had been using and gathered his things. Once he was done, he and Alfred started to exit the library.

"It's weird how some could just forget their own book," Alfred mused.

"Yeah...weird." _Unless they were in a hurry._

Feliks took one last look around the library, as if expecting something or somebody to suddenly reveal themself. When nothing did, he shook his head and continued to walk forwards.

_Call me paranoid, but I find it hard to believe that the book fell off of the shelf on its own._

Feliks narrowed his eyes, knowing what this could mean.

_Someone was definitely eavesdropping on us. _

* * *

Feliks tried to stifle a yawn as he entered his homeroom. He had spent the night before answering all of Alfred's questions, which had resulted in lost sleep. He slowly trudged towards his seat, his head suddenly feeling dizzy as he saw that Toris was already there.

Seeing the brunette brought Feliks back to the conversation from the night before.

_Even though he was being annoying, Alfred was right. I guess...going to the dance with Toris wouldn't be so bad_, Feliks thought. _Who am I kidding? I'd really like to go to the dance with him. I've gotten so soft..._

_"_Good morning Toris," Feliks said as he sat down. Apparently this startled Toris, who had been so immersed in his book that he hadn't noticed Feliks's arrival.

"O-oh! U-um..." Toris glanced up at Feliks before look back down, refusing to make eye contact. "H-hello Felicia."

_Okay...that was...unusual._ Feliks stared at Toris, wondering why the Lithuanian was acting so strange. _Should I ask him what's wrong?_

However, before Feliks could speak, Toris said quietly, "Felicia...I can't have lunch with you today. I'm sorry, I just have...something that a teacher asked me to help them with."

_What?_

"Oh...okay. It's alright," Feliks said, slightly surprised. He couldn't help but feel disappointed. Still, he couldn't show his disappointment to Toris, so he put on a light smile and said jokingly, "I'll just suffer through lunch with Alfred and Gilbert."

Toris's grip on his book seemed to tighten and he said, "Y-yeah."

Feliks raised a single eyebrow, confused by Toris's behavior. _Was it something I said?_

For the rest of the school day, Toris seemed to avoid Feliks. While the two would usually walk in the halls together, Toris would make an excuse and let Feliks walk ahead, alone. Even in class, Toris concentrated intensely on his textbook, not even granting Feliks a spare glance. And for Feliks, it was all very confusing, worrying, and _hurtful._ He had no idea what he had done wrong, and to be treated like he didn't even exist made his stomach churn painfully.

Finally, at lunch, Feliks sat alone, going through all the possible causes for Toris's behavior. The clatter of lunch trays hitting the table, however, alerted him to the arrival of Alfred and Gilbert.

"How's it going?" Alfred asked with a big grin. "Guess what? I just had English class and the quiz was a breeze!"

"Really? That's great," Feliks said, smiling. He felt a little proud of Alfred, and of himself for helping.

"Are you serious?! That quiz was so unawesome!" Gilbert exclaimed.

"It wouldn't have been if you had actually read the book," Feliks scolded. "And since you didn't, you don't really have much room to complain."

"Wow, Feliks, you're so mean," Gilbert pouted. "Whatever. It's not like I care about the grade I get."

"You're just jealous that I'm smarter than ya," Alfred teased smugly.

"No! That's not true!" Gilbert protested. Alfred just laughed in response.

"Anyways, have ya asked Toris to the dance yet?" Alfred said. At this, Gilbert attention turned towards Feliks and his expression became impish.

"So you asked your little Lithuanian love to go the dance?" Gilbert said, waggling his eyebrows.

Feliks cast his eyes downwards towards his food, stabbing his carrots with a particular viciousness. "It's none of your business," he said angrily, yet his voice betrayed his dejection.

"Woah dude, did something happen between you and Toris?" Alfred asked.

_That's just it! I don't know! _Feliks wanted to yell, but instead he took a deep breath.

"Not really," Feliks answered. "He's just been acting weird today."

"Well did you ask him why?" Gilbert said.

"No."

"Well then, just ask him later," Gilbert said, as if the solution were that simple.

"How do you know he'll tell me what's going on? Remember that Toris is still a target, a way to apprehend Braginski," Feliks said bitterly. "In fact, maybe it's time for me to remember that as well."

"So you're just gonna give up?" Alfred asked.

Feliks remained silent, not wanting to answer. Perhaps because he didn't even know himself.

"At least talk to him," Alfred continued. "It's a shame to let your friendship go after so much has happened."

Still, Feliks didn't respond, and the three were left to eat lunch in an awkward silence.

* * *

Feliks had the rest of the day to ruminate over Alfred's words. When it was just after last period, as Feliks changed out of his track uniform into his street clothes, he finally came to a resolve.

_I guess it is cowardly to not try and talk to Toris. I should at least be able to do that. But first, I have to find him._

After exiting the girl's locker room, Feliks thought about the best way to find Toris.

_It seems like Natalya is always waiting for him near the entrance, so I guess that's my best bet at finding him._

It took Feliks only a minute to nearly reach the entrance. Just one more turn at the end of the hallway, and he would reach the doors. He was about to turn the corner when a familiar voice stopped him in his tracks.

"Why have you asked me to come here?" a harsh voice demanded.

_Natalya_, Feliks realized, his eyes narrowing with irritation. He slowly peeked around the corner, and his eyes widened at the scene before him.

Toris stood shyly in front of Natalya, who had her arms crossed and whose eyes regarded him coldly, as if he was a speck of dirt.

"W-well," Toris began shakily, "I-I've liked you for a while..."

_N-no..._

Immediately, Feliks could feel his heart ache painfully at those words. His breathing became unsteady, and he wished that he could just _disappear _so he didn't have to hear the rest of Toris's confession, but he couldn't bring himself to run away.

"And the winter formal is coming up," Toris continued ruthlessly, despite Feliks's inner pleas that he would just _stop._ "So..."

_P-please...don't... _Feliks felt his eyes begin to water. Immediately he was mortified at this foreign display of sadness. Even during his tough training as a young child, he had never once before _cried_.

"Will you go to the dance with me?" Toris said, the final blow to Feliks's already fragile composure.

_Why...?_

Finally, Feliks felt warm tears run down his face and he held in a sob as he turned on his heel and _ran. _

* * *

"So will you go to the dance with me?"

It was quiet as the question hung in the air. Natalya seemed surprised before her expression turned cruel, and she sneered at Toris. "What an _idiot._ You actually thought I would _care_? You're lucky that my brother likes you so much, otherwise I would break your fingers, one by one. My heart belongs only to my darling brother."

Natalya regarded Toris threateningly, her eyes cold. "So if you ever try something like this again, _you will_ _regret it._" With that, she turned and exited the building, leaving Toris alone to process the events that had just occurred.

For a time, Toris remained there, un-moving, with an emotionless expression on his face. And then a sad yet knowing smile graced his lips.

"I guess I shouldn't have expected anything different."

* * *

Feliks didn't care where he was going. All that mattered was that he need to get _out. _He just kept running through he halls blindly. He wiped furiously at his eyes, but it did nothing to stop the flow of tears. It did, however, cause him to bump into someone.

"Hey, what the- Feliks?" Alfred said incredulously. His eyes widened when he saw Feliks's tears. "Are you..._crying?"_

"J-just leave me _a__lone," _Feliks said, his voice broken by the sobs caught in his throat. He quickly stepped around Alfred and continued on his quest to escape.

"Wait!" Alfred called out, but to no avail. Feliks was gone.

"What in the world was that about?" Alfred asked himself. "Maybe it had something to do with Toris..."

Alfred's expression turned serious as he grew angry at the thought of Toris hurting his friend. He continued toward the school entrance, wondering what sort of horrible thing could make Feliks cry like that.

"Whoever it was, they're gonna have to answer to the hero," Alfred vowed as he turned the corner. He then saw Toris standing in front of the doors, and the American immediately went forward to confront him.

"What did you _do?_" He asked Toris, with a firm and demanding tone.

Toris was startled by the question and he was broken out of his stupor. He met Alfred's glare, and he was surprised to find such ire and disappointment in his eyes.

"W-what do you mean?" Toris responded timidly. "What happened?"

"I think you know what I mean," Alfred said. "Tell me why I just saw Felik-Felicia running through the hallways _crying._"

"Felicia was crying?" Toris's eyes became wide with worry.

"Yeah, and I wanna know what you did to cause it."

"B-but I don't know what I did," Toris said, confused. "Maybe I should talk to her. Do you know where I can find her?"

"Why should I tell you that?" Alfred asked. "It seems all you've manage to do is hurt her."

"Please tell me!" Toris begged. "I have to know if she's okay. And if she's hurt because of me...then I want to know why, so I can fix it."

Alfred observed Toris silently before finally sighing. "Fine. I'll tell you where she lives."

* * *

**That, ladies and gentlemen, was only part _one_ of chapter 21. Now, if you're on the edge of your seats, then I consider this a job well done. Do not fret, for I will post the second part of chapter 21 very soon, and when I say soon, I _mean _soon. I promise not to get side tracked, and unless my mother wrenches my computer out of my hands, the wait will be no more than 3 days. **

**That's all for now! You guys are going to _love _next chapter. ;D Review if you would like to, I'm always open to criticism, and I'll see you next time!**


	22. Chapter 21 Part two

**Here it is! The second part of chapter 21! Yay! **

**I hope all of my fellow Americans had a wonderful Independence Day! I thought that I would be able to update yesterday, but I was too busy celebrating with the family. Still, I'm glad to finally be posting this chapter, since I've been planning this particular scene since day one. :D**

**Thanks to Abyssus Angelus, Sora-ku, lafayette722, Marichinocherry, a guest, alex1464 , xXNaidaXx, Canakous , coin1996, Linkforever125, chibichocolate1313 for the reviews! Some of your speculation will be put to rest with this completion of chapter 21. ;D  
**

**Now then, I will leave you to read chapter 21 part 2, and I hope that you will enjoy it!**

* * *

Feliks lay on the couch, arms shielding his chest as he stared listlessly at nothing. He gave a small sniffle, having already run out of tears. His eyes were red and puffy, and he could feel the certain numbness that came after crying clouding up his brain.

When he had arrived at his apartment, he had tried his hardest to fall into blissful sleep and, for a few short hours, just _forget_. But he couldn't_._ Not when he felt so helpless, alone, and _foolish_.

_I've been so stupid, _Feliks thought ruefully. _Letting myself become so attached to that…that… Lithuanian _idiot_._

For a moment, Feliks felt anger flare up inside him, but it was quickly extinguished. _No…_ _I only have myself to blame. This mission shouldn't have been different from any of the others. _

Feliks closed his eyes and took a shuddered breath. He wanted so much to be able to blame someone for the way he felt. He missed the time when it was clear who the villain was, and he was the person who could bring that villain to justice. It used to be that the person who was hurting him only needed to be dealt with, and then the pain would go away. But that wasn't the case this time. And Feliks _hated_ that.

With a pained groan, Feliks slowly rose from his curled-up position and stood, even though the act left him feeling disoriented. He then started to shuffle towards the bathroom, suddenly realizing how weak his body felt. Once he entered the bathroom, he stopped in front of the sink and stared at his reflection in the mirror.

He looked like a complete mess. His blond hair, usually neatly combed, had pieces flying this way and that. He raised a hand to his hair and used his fingers in an attempt to tame it. Realizing this was futile, he reached for a rubber band in one of the bathroom cupboards and tied his hair into a low ponytail.

The worst part had to have been the make-up. His mascara had been thoroughly smudged, so much so that he looked like a panda bear. His tears had ruined the blush around his cheeks and his lip gloss had become non-existent at this point, save for the faint sparkles on his lips. Feliks stared at his reflection for a few more moments before narrowing his eyes and quickly turning the faucet on. He then collected a handful of water before suddenly splashing it on his face.

_This has never been me._

He harshly rubbed at his face, wanting to rid it of all traces of make up. He repeated the process of washing and rinsing until he felt like he had done enough. He then turned off the tap and blindly reached for a towel. The soft cloth against his skin was almost comforting, like a security blanket, but when he was sure that his face was dry he threw the towel in the hamper. It was only when he finished the whole cleansing process when he allowed himself to look in the mirror again.

His face was now completely clean, devoid of any evidence of _Felicia. _Just being reminded of that name made him feel sick to his stomach. It represented lies, deceit, and most of all, the false hope that Toris could ever love someone like Feliks.

_This... is definitely me_, he thought, satisfied. Of course, a person could still tell that Feliks had been crying, but at least he looked more like himself.

_Maybe if I hadn't had to lie to Toris, then-_ Feliks quickly abandoned the thought. _No, nothing I could have done would have changed this. _

Feliks sighed and shook his head. He exited the bathroom and walked back into the living room, returning to his position on the couch. However, this time he sat upright.

_And the most pathetic part?_ Feliks thought, closing his eyes and letting a single tear fall. _I still love him. _

_Knock knock._

Feliks groaned, not looking forward to facing any visitors at the moment. _I guess it must be Alfred. After all, I was running and crying when I bumped into him. _

The Pole stood up and went to open the door. _Or maybe it's Gilbert. Either way, they're going to ask a lot of questions. Ones I definitely don't want to answer. _

Feliks's hand ghosted over the door knob, before he took one last deep breath and opened the door. He looked down, trying to hide his face as he casually greeted the person on the other side.

"Hello. I don't know why you felt the need to visit me, but I can assure you I'm-"

"Felicia?"

_No way._

Feliks could swear that his heart stopped when he heard that one word. Slowly, he looked up, his breathing turning shaky.

He was greeted by the face of the last person he wanted to see at that moment. But there was no mistaking that light brown hair and those kind blue eyes. Somehow Toris, though it should have been impossible, was standing before Feliks.

"T-Toris? H-how did you-? What-?"

"I'm sorry for showing up so suddenly but Alfred told me that... and I had to see that you were okay so..." Toris said shyly before he asked more confidently, "Felicia, h-have you been crying?"

"U-um...w-well," Feliks was truly at a lost for words. "I...I..."

"Because if it's because of me, then I'm so sorry," Toris rushed. "But can you at least tell me what I did to hurt you?"

Feliks realized he needed to say something, so he whispered, "You can... c-come in."

_Am I making a huge mistake?_

"R-really?" Toris seemed shocked. "Okay...thanks."

Feliks just nodded mutely before stepping aside and letting the Lithuanian into the apartment. He then shut the door as Toris curiously wandered further into the apartment.

"Well...this is nice," Toris said, trying to break the silence.

"Would you...like anything to drink?" Feliks said awkwardly, not knowing what else to say.

"Huh? Oh no, I'm okay...thanks," Toris said, giving Feliks a small smile. It was a smile that Feliks couldn't bring himself to return.

"So," Feliks started, barely audible, "you wanted to talk about something?"

"Ah yes, well...I just wanted to ask if you were okay," Toris said.

"I'm fine," Feliks said, a little too quickly.

Toris's expression grew concerned as he said, "Felicia...I know that isn't true. You look like you've been crying and I really need to know...were you crying because of me?"

Feliks gulped nervously, not knowing how in the world he was going to answer that. Should he just lie and say no? Pretend everything was normal? Those were certainly doable options but...Feliks was just so tired of pretending.

"Y-yes. I was."

Toris's eyes widened, obviously having suspected it all along, but surprised to hear it coming from Feliks's mouth.

"Really?! Then I'm so sorry! Please forgive me!" Toris begged, fearful that he had actually hurt his best friend's feelings. "But...what did I do? Did I insult you? Because if I did then I really didn't mean to."

"No...it's not that," Feliks said slowly.

"Then tell me. How did I hurt you?"

_Why is this so hard?_

"I-It's not really your fault. It's just-" Feliks took a moment to look directly at Toris, taking note of his expectant gaze. "I saw you...asking Natalya to the dance."

Toris seemed surprised. "You did? And that's why you were crying? But...why?"

"Because..." _Can I really do this? _"Because I..."_ Do I risk being hurt even more than I am now?_

Feliks took in the genuine concern in the Lithuanian's eyes. He gazed at the features he had become accustomed to, the face that could make his day that just that much brighter.

_I guess it's already been decided._

"Because I love you," Feliks finally admitted. "I actually love you, you big idiot. And when I saw you with Natalya, I-" Feliks could already feel his eyes becoming misty.

Suddenly, Feliks found himself being enveloped in a warmth that made him feel like he could melt. It took a few moments for him to process that fact that Toris was _hugging_ him. The Lithuanian was holding Feliks close in a tight embrace, and all Feliks could do was stand stiffly as Toris started to speak.

"Do you really mean that?" Toris said softly. "Do you really...love me?"

"Y-yes," Feliks choked out. He leaned into the hug, finding it the only thing keeping him from collapsing to his knees.

"That makes me really happy because...I love you too," Toris said shyly, the last part coming out breathlessly.

_What? _

Just when Feliks thought he was getting his composure back, Toris went and said _that. _The room was silent, and Feliks feared that Toris could hear his heart beating furiously.

So Feliks had been crying for no reason? All of a sudden, Feliks was supposed to believe his feelings, which had been tormenting him ever since his breakdown in the school bathroom, were _returned_? It was too much like a fairy-tale, and like a fairy-tale, it just couldn't be true.

Feliks broke the embrace in order to stare at Toris incredulously. He said, hesitantly, "Did...you just say you love me?"

"Y-yes. Because it's true. I really love you," Toris said happily, his eyes sparkling.

"But then... why did you ask Natalya to the dance?" Feliks asked, still quite not believing what he was hearing.

Toris now looked remorseful as he answered, "I'm really sorry Felicia. I only asked Natalya because...I heard you asking Alfred."

"What?" Feliks was confused. "But I never asked-"

Then it all clicked.

"So...it was you? _You_ were the one listening to us in the library?"

Toris seemed sheepish as he nodded. "Sorry, but I had finally gotten the courage to ask you to the dance, so I went back to the library hoping that you'd still be there. And then I saw you ask Alfred to the dance and him saying yes..."

_So he heard _that. _That was so careless of us_, Feliks thought, internally berating himself.

"I'm sorry Toris, but you misunderstood. I wasn't asking Alfred, it was more like I was preparing to ask _you_. Alfred was just joking when he 'accepted' my invitation. Actually, he was...uh...well, imitating you," Feliks explained, his cheeks darkening at what the last part insinuated.

"Oh." Toris seemed dumbfounded for a moment. Then he smiled kindly, though he was also blushing. "Well, he was actually pretty accurate. If you had asked me, I definitely would have said yes."

Feliks wasn't stupid. He could understand what Toris was hinting at. "Then...would you like to go to the dance with me?"

"Of course."

And with those two words, Feliks finally let his whole guard down. He re-embraced Toris and the two held each other tightly. Feliks felt his knees give away and he slowly lowered himself to the floor, with Toris supporting him along the way.

"S-sorry. I guess I'm really tired," Feliks said.

"It's okay," Toris said. He copied Feliks and soon they both were sitting on the floor across from each other, each sitting cross-legged. The two gazed at each other, and even though Feliks had never felt so happy and _free,_ something still gnawed at his heart.

_When he had confessed to Natalya..._ It hurt just to think about it. _There was no way I could have misheard._

"Toris," Feliks began softly, not sure if he really wanted to hear the truth. But then again, it wasn't like he go on living without it. "You told Natalya that you liked her...was it true?"

Toris's expression turned regretful and apologetic. "Felicia...you already know that my parents died and...I was pretty young when it happened. So I was practically raised by a...er... family friend. And I was kind of isolated from other children, so Natalya was one of my only friends while growing up. Well, I use the term 'friend' loosely, because I don't think she ever really liked me." Toris chuckled weakly. "But even so, I guess I started to have a crush on her. I don't know why, but it was probably because I felt so alone and...I was just really confused."

Suddenly, Toris brought his hand up to touch Feliks's cheek. The Pole immediately stiffened at the abrupt contact, but then relaxed and concentrated on the warmth of Toris's hand.

"And it was only when I met you that I realized...I never loved her. You were so kind and being around you made me happy and...it was never that way with her. So please, believe me when I say I love you."

_How is he able to make me so happy?_

Their faces drew closer and closer, until their foreheads were about to touch. And Feliks couldn't deny that he knew what was about to happen. Toris had closed his eyes and leaned in. Any closer and their lips would...

_I...can't._

Feliks pulled away.

_I can't do this. Not until he knows the truth_, Feliks thought determinedly. He wasn't about to let their relationship start off with a lie.

"Toris...there's something I need to tell you."

Toris seemed surprised by the interruption. Confused, he replied, "What is it, Felicia?"

_How the hell am I going to explain this? __I can't just say "Actually, I'm a boy, teehee!" and expect him to understand. _Feliks thought harder for a few moments before coming up with a plan. It was sure to shock Toris, but Feliks figured that it would be the quickest way.

There were sounds of fabric being shuffled as Feliks started to remove his school uniform sweater.

"Uh...Felicia, what are you doing?"

Feliks ignored Toris and started to unbutton his blouse after removing his tie. At this point Toris started to stutter incoherently and his cheeks were bright red as he realized what Feliks was doing.

"W-wait! Why are you taking that off?! S-stop!" Toris pleaded. He confused, terribly so, but the one thing he was sure of was that he had never expected "Felicia" to be _that _ bold. He quickly closed his eyes, feeling like he would violate Feliks if he did otherwise.

"Toris...please open your eyes."

"I-I can't, I'm sorry Felicia, I'm just not ready for that kind of stuff I mean-" Toris started to ramble.

Feliks leaned forward and covered Toris's mouth with his hand in order to stop his babbling. "Toris, I promise it isn't what you think it is. Open your eyes. Just trust me."

Toris seemed to calmed down at Feliks's reassuring words and he hesitantly nodded. "O-okay. I-If you say so..."

Slowly, the Lithuanian opened his eyes, and was met by the sight of "Felicia"'s...flat chest?

"U-um...Felicia...why are you showing me your ch-chest?" Toris was as red as a tomato by now.

"Because," Feliks began as he took Toris's hand in his and placed it on his bare chest, "there's nothing there. And the reason for that is...I'm a boy, Toris."

"You're a...b-boy?" Toris repeated, wide-eyed.

"Yes. And my name isn't Felicia. It's Feliks," Feliks said, smiling nervously. That smile quickly turned into an expression of horror as Toris's eyes rolled to the back of his head and he collapsed onto the floor.

"T-Toris?!"

_Okay...maybe that wasn't the best way to tell him._

* * *

**Muahaha, man I'm so mean to Toris.**

**On another note... KYAAAHHH they finally confessed! :D You guys knew it would happen, but I hope the scene still pleased you. But that almost-kiss...you must be cursing me right now, but worry not, it will be coming soon enough. ;)**

**This chapter is pretty short, but I wanted to focus only on Toris and Feliks. The next chapter is going to be moving the plot right along. Because even though they've finally confessed, there's a lot of questions that need to be answered. Who was that boy in Toris's wallet? Why does Arthur want to meet with Feliks? What in the world does Yong Soo's kidnapping have to do with Feliks's mission? When will I stop asking so many questions?! XD**

**Please review if you'd like to, it really means a lot, and I'll s****ee you next time!**


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